The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, on Monday joined protesters at the National Assembly in Abuja as part of the ongoing #OccupyNASS demonstration.
The protest was triggered by the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through third reading.
In the amended bill, lawmakers removed the phrase “real-time” transmission of election results, a move that has sparked criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures.
Although the Senate has issued several clarifications regarding reports that it rejected electronic transmission of results, the protesters insist that lawmakers must explicitly include “real-time electronic transmission” in the proposed legislation.
Obi’s presence at the protest drew attention from supporters and activists who argue that transparent and technology-driven elections are essential to deepening democracy in the country.
Obi, who is now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is among the protesters at the National Assembly gate.
He said the Senate must prevent the kind of glitches that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported in 2023, and make real-time electronic transmission of results mandatory.
Members of civil society organisations, a handful of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) members, and some women’s groups are part of the protest.
The protesters began their march from the Federal Secretariat, heading towards the National Assembly gate.
There was a heavy security presence at the scene, with personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The police have already barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly.
However, some members of the civil society groups, who spoke to Channels Television, disclosed that the protesters do not intend to enter the National Assembly premises, as the protest is expected to take place mainly at the entrance.
(Channels Tv)
