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Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has led a group of protesters to the National Assembly Complex to demand the inclusion of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment, amid controversy over the Senate’s rejection of the provision.
The demonstration, part of the broader “Occupy National Assembly” protest, involved student groups, civil society organisations, members of the ADC, and the Obidient Movement, a key support base for Obi.
Protesters gathered at the entrance gates, chanting solidarity slogans and songs, while security operatives prevented them from entering the premises.
Obi addressed the crowd, urging lawmakers to prioritise transparency in the electoral process.
“Allow the elections to go through the normal process. Whoever wins, we would accept,” he said, as the demonstrators continued their chants. He added, “So, why are you bringing this confusion?”
The protest stems from the Senate’s recent passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, where it rejected a proposed clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to a central portal.
Instead, the upper chamber retained the existing provision from the 2022 Act, allowing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prescribe the manner of result transmission.
Critics, including protesters, argue this creates ambiguity and risks repeating issues like the technical glitches reported by INEC during the 2023 elections, which undermined public confidence.
Obi and the demonstrators insist that explicit provisions for real-time e-transmission are essential to restore trust, prevent manipulation, and ensure credible future polls, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.