Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, today joined protesters to the National Assembly in Abuja to oppose the Senate’s decision on the electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, tagged ‘Occupy National Assembly’, was organised by Nigerian youths, pro-democracy activists and civil society groups who are demanding that lawmakers reverse their position on the electronic transmission clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Addressing the protesters at the entrance of the National Assembly complex, Obi faulted the Senate’s decision and urged lawmakers to allow the electoral process to run without restrictions. According to him, the rejection of electronic transmission of results by the Senate undermines public confidence in the electoral process and raises concerns about transparency and credibility ahead of future elections.
According to reports, Participants at the demonstration included members of civil society organisations, women groups and a handful of members of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), who converged at the main entrance of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the protest follows the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, during which lawmakers rejected a proposal to make electronic transmission of results mandatory, a decision that has continued to attract criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures across the country.
