Obi joins protest at N’Assembly, says Nigerians don’t want glitch again

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday joined hundreds of demonstrators at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to protest the Senate’s decision to remove “real-time” electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The protest, tagged “Occupy the National Assembly,” was organised by members of the Obidient Movement and pro-democracy activists, who described the lawmakers’ action as a deliberate attempt to undermine electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Last week, the Senate passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, through third reading. A major point of contention in the amended bill is the deletion of the phrase “real-time” in provisions dealing with the electronic transmission of election results—a move critics say weakens safeguards against manipulation.

Although the Senate has since issued multiple clarifications insisting it did not reject electronic transmission outright, protesters argue that the absence of the words “real-time electronic transmission” creates room for abuse and post-poll interference.

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Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery” and “Protect democracy now,” the demonstrators marched from the Federal Secretariat towards the National Assembly.

However, they were prevented from gaining access to the complex by a heavy deployment of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Security operatives barricaded the main entrance, forcing the protesters to hold their demonstration outside the gates.

Addressing journalists at the protest ground, Obi condemned what he described as the steady erosion of democratic gains in the country, warning that credible elections remain the foundation of national stability and development.

“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he charged.

He urged the National Assembly to enact laws mandating electronic transmission of election results.

“The danger was clear. We have suffered the danger. That’s what we have suffered before. We don’t want any glitch again. This is finished. We want things to come back to normal. No more glitch,” the former Anambra governor said.

Obi’s appearance at the protest further galvanised the crowd, many of whom view him as a symbol of the 2023 youth-driven political awakening that challenged Nigeria’s traditional political order.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said the agitation would continue until the National Assembly explicitly restores real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended law.

“If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible,” he said.

Tanko argued that past elections had been marred by manual interference during result collation, a problem electronic transmission was meant to address following reforms introduced after the 2011 and 2015 elections.

Nigeria’s electoral reforms gained momentum after the contentious 2007 general elections, widely adjudged as flawed. The introduction of card readers in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022 were hailed as significant steps toward transparency, though implementation challenges persisted.

The provision for electronic transmission of results was also a central demand of civil society groups during debates leading to the passage of the 2022 Electoral Act, with many arguing that it would minimise human interference and restore public confidence in the electoral process.

Popular activist Randy Peters, who also spoke at the protest, accused the political class of betraying the ideals of democracy and vowed that demonstrators would return to the National Assembly until their demands are met.

“Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The current administration supported the June 12 campaign. It was about free and fair elections,” he said.

Invoking the spirit of the June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, Peters questioned why elected leaders would resist reforms that guarantee credible outcomes.

“Do we have Democrats who are afraid of losing elections? In 2027, our votes must count. The most important thing is that our votes must count. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again,” he added.