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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Hundreds of pro-democracy activists, under the banner of the Obidient Movement and allied civic groups, on Monday converged on the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to protest the Senate’s amendment of the Electoral Act, particularly the removal of the phrase “real-time” from provisions on the electronic transmission of election results.
Among the prominent figures at the demonstration were former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and social activist, Aisha Yesufu, whose presence further energised the crowd of protesters demanding the protection of electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protest, tagged Occupy the National Assembly, followed last week’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, by the Senate.
Central to public outrage is the decision by lawmakers to delete “real-time” from clauses that regulate the electronic transmission of results, a move critics insist weakens safeguards against manipulation.
Although the Senate has repeatedly clarified that it did not jettison electronic transmission entirely, demonstrators argued that the altered wording opens dangerous loopholes capable of enabling post-election interference.
The protesters, chanting solidarity songs and brandishing placards bearing messages such as “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” marched from the Federal Secretariat towards the National Assembly.
Their advance, however, was halted by a heavy security presence comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who cordoned off the main entrance to the complex, compelling the demonstrators to stage their rally outside the gates.
Speaking to journalists at the protest ground, Obi decried what he described as the systematic dismantling of democratic gains, stressing that credible elections are indispensable to Nigeria’s stability and progress.
“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he charged.
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Obi’s participation significantly boosted the morale of the protesters, many of whom consider him the face of the youth-driven political awakening witnessed during the 2023 elections, which disrupted Nigeria’s long-established political structure.
Also addressing the crowd, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, declared that the protests would persist until lawmakers expressly reinstate real-time electronic transmission in the amended law.
He said, “If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible.”
Tanko recalled that manipulation during manual collation had historically undermined electoral credibility, adding that electronic transmission was introduced to curb such practices following electoral reforms after the 2011 and 2015 polls.
Nigeria’s push for electoral reform intensified in the aftermath of the deeply flawed 2007 general elections, which triggered widespread calls for systemic overhaul. Subsequent innovations, including the deployment of card readers in 2015 and the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in 2022, were widely praised as milestones, despite persistent operational challenges.
Similarly, civil society organisations had fiercely advocated electronic transmission of results during debates preceding the enactment of the 2022 Electoral Act, arguing that it would significantly reduce human interference and rebuild public trust in elections.
Another speaker, activist Randy Peters, accused the political elite of abandoning democratic ideals and pledged sustained resistance until the National Assembly reverses the contentious amendment.
“Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate do the right thing. The current administration supported the June 12 campaign. It was about free and fair elections,” he stated.
Drawing inspiration from the June 12, 1993 election, often celebrated as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, Peters questioned the reluctance of elected leaders to embrace 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.
