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By Tracy Moses
Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, on Tuesday led thousands of protesters to the National Assembly, Abuja, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately undermining electoral transparency by opposing real-time electronic transmission of election results.
The protest followed the Senate’s decision to remove the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2026 currently before the National Assembly, a move that has triggered widespread backlash from opposition parties and civil society groups.
Tagged “Occupy National Assembly,” the protest began on Monday with hundreds of youths converging at the Federal Secretariat before marching to the legislative complex to demand the reinstatement of explicit provisions guaranteeing real-time electronic transmission of results.
Amaechi, who joined the protest on Tuesday alongside his son, accused the APC of resisting transparent electoral processes out of fear that technology-backed elections would erode its political advantage.
Speaking to journalists, the former Minister of Transportation dismissed claims that the protest was politically motivated, insisting that opposition figures had a responsibility to stand openly with citizens demanding credible elections.
“The reason we are here is that there should be more Nigerians out here,” Amaechi said. “Some people claim politicians sponsor protests while their children are abroad. Here is my first son. I brought him along. He is a medical doctor; his duty is to treat anyone who may be injured.
“If the opposition joins a protest, they say we have hijacked it. But what about the APC? Are they not involved? What exactly are they afraid of?” he asked.
Earlier, Obi joined demonstrators outside the main gates of the National Assembly, warning that the removal of clear provisions for real-time electronic transmission represented a dangerous rollback of Nigeria’s democratic progress.
“We must dismantle this criminality and show that Nigeria can still be a beacon of hope in Africa,” Obi said, urging lawmakers to clearly enshrine real-time electronic transmission of results in the amended law.
Opposition parties and civil society organisations at the rally argued that real-time electronic transmission is critical to safeguarding electoral integrity, limiting human interference and restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
They noted that ambiguities in existing electoral laws allow room for manual manipulation of results between polling units and collation centres, a practice blamed for post-election disputes, prolonged litigation and declining voter trust.
The agitation gained renewed urgency following the Senate’s decision to replace the deleted phrase with broader discretionary powers for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a move critics say weakens legal guarantees and exposes elections to political interference.
Civil society groups maintained that Nigeria’s recent electoral experiences have shown that technology, when clearly backed by law, reduces result tampering and enhances transparency.
Prominent figures at the rally included activist Aisha Yesufu; National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Tanko Yunusa; and several electoral reform advocates, who displayed placards reading “Our Votes Must Count” and “Protect Democracy Now.”
Women’s groups, human rights organisations and members of the African Democratic Congress also participated actively in the protest.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind calls for comprehensive electoral reforms, warning that failure to address the issue could trigger broader national actions.
Security around the National Assembly complex was heavy, with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed to maintain order and prevent protesters from accessing the legislative premises.