The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday joined the Occupy National Assembly protest in Abuja.
The protest comes in the wake of the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, which removed the phrase “real-time” transmission of election results during its third reading.
While the Senate has issued multiple clarifications denying reports that it rejected electronic transmission of results, protesters insist that lawmakers must explicitly include real-time electronic transmission in the legislation.
Obi, who recently joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was seen among the demonstrators at the National Assembly gate. He stressed that the Senate must take measures to prevent glitches similar to those reported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2023, and ensure that real-time electronic transmission of results is made mandatory.
Members of civil society organisations, some ADC members, and women’s groups are participating in the protest. The march began at the Federal Secretariat and proceeded toward the National Assembly gate.
A heavy security presence was observed, with personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed to the area.
The police have barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly, but civil society representatives told Channels Television that protesters do not intend to enter the premises, with the demonstration expected to remain at the entrance.
