Electronic Transmission: Tension in Abuja as Peter Obi Leads Protest at NASS
There was palpable tension in Abuja on Tuesday as former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, led a protest to the National Assembly over alleged attempts to weaken electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, which drew supporters, civil society groups and pro-democracy activists, was staged to oppose ongoing deliberations on the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
The protesters, who converged near the National Assembly complex, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Protect Our Votes,” “Hands Off Electronic Transmission,” and “No Going Back on Electoral Reforms.”
Addressing the crowd, Obi warned that any move to undermine electronic transmission of results would amount to an attack on Nigeria’s democracy.
“Electronic transmission of results is one of the few safeguards Nigerians have against electoral fraud. We must not allow a reversal of the progress already made,” Obi said.
He urged lawmakers to listen to the voices of Nigerians and ensure that the Electoral Act is strengthened rather than weakened.
Security operatives were heavily deployed around the National Assembly to prevent a breakdown of law and order, leading to traffic disruptions in parts of the Three Arms Zone.
Although the protest remained largely peaceful, there was tension as security personnel restricted protesters from accessing the main entrance of the National Assembly complex.
The demonstration comes amid controversy surrounding proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, including the rejection of mandatory real-time transmission of results by the senate.
Lawmakers have, however, insisted that the provision for electronic transmission as contained in the Electoral Act 2022 remains intact.
As of the time of filing this report, the National Assembly leadership had not officially responded to the protest.