A leading figure of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Monday joined demonstrators at the National Assembly in Abuja to protest the Senate’s refusal to approve mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
Crowds of protesters arrived at the National Assembly complex early in the day, demanding that lawmakers reverse their decision on the controversial clause in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Addressing the gathering, Obi criticised the Senate’s stance and urged legislators to allow the electoral process to run without interference.
“Allow the election to go through the normal process. Whatever the outcome is, we will accept it,” he said. “Why introduce confusion after the process?”
The demonstration, organised under the banner Occupy National Assembly, drew large numbers of youths, civil society groups, and pro-democracy advocates who insisted that electronic result transmission is essential for credible elections.
Security around the area was significantly heightened, with officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps stationed across the complex to maintain order.
