Peter Obi, Former Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has led a protest at the National Assembly in Abuja following the Senate’s rejection of a proposal to allow real-time electronic transmission of election results.
Mr Obi was joined by student groups, civil society organisations, members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and supporters under the Obidient Movement banner.
Demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly complex on Monday, chanting slogans and calling for electoral reforms aimed at improving transparency and credibility.
Addressing the crowd, Mr Obi urged lawmakers to reconsider their position, saying Nigerians deserved a credible electoral process.
“Allow the elections to go through the normal process. Whoever wins, we would accept,” he told protesters.
The Senate had earlier voted against a provision that would mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically in real time, a move that has sparked criticism from opposition politicians and civil society groups.
INEC has repeatedly said electronic transmission of results could improve transparency and reduce disputes. The commission has also tested digital transmission in recent off-cycle governorship elections.
Civil society organisations, including election monitoring groups, have warned that rejecting electronic transmission could undermine public confidence in future elections.
However, some lawmakers have defended the Senate’s decision, arguing that technological and infrastructure challenges, particularly in rural areas with limited network coverage, must first be addressed.
Security personnel were deployed around the National Assembly complex during the protest, but there were no reports of violence.
Details later…..
About The Author
