Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi on Monday led protesters to the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding a transparent and mandatory electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Godswill Akpabio-led senate had on Thursday rejected mandatory electronic transmission of election results, already endorsed by the House of Representatives. It also enjoy a national concensus.
Speaking at the protest ground, Obi faulted the Senate’s position on the electronic transmission of election results, urging lawmakers to allow the electoral process to proceed without restrictions.
According to him, the demands of the protesters are straightforward, which is the need for transparency throughout the entire electoral process, beginning from the qualification of candidates seeking public office.
Obi said, “Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?”
The protest, tagged ‘Occupy National Assembly’, saw Nigerian youths and pro-democracy activists converging at the entrance of the National Assembly to express opposition to the Senate’s rejection of e-transmission of election results.
The demonstration attracted a heavy security presence, with personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, deployed to maintain order around the complex.
So far, as at the time of filing this report, the protest remained peaceful, with security operatives only monitoring activities at the scene.
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