Our Reporter, Abuja
Former Labour Party presidential candidate and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, on Monday led a protest to the National Assembly, demanding the inclusion of mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
Obi, accompanied by civil society activists and supporters, protested the Senate’s removal of clauses providing for electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly, Obi warned that Nigeria could not afford to repeat the mistakes of past elections, insisting that transparent elections are central to national stability.
“We have suffered enough in this country because of flawed elections,” Obi said. “The consequences are everywhere around us — insecurity, poverty, and lack of trust in government. We cannot continue like this.”
He urged lawmakers to listen to Nigerians and act in the national interest.
“This is not about political parties or individuals. It is about the future of our democracy. When people vote, their votes must count, and the only way to guarantee that is through mandatory electronic transmission of results.
“It is not a difficult thing. Allow the election to go through the normal process, whoever wins we will accept. So why are you bringing all the confusion,” Obi queried.
Obi rejected arguments that network challenges could justify the removal of the provision.
“We have heard talk about glitches and network failure. We have suffered that excuse before, and we don’t want it again,” he said.
“Other countries with fewer resources transmit results electronically. Nigeria cannot be an exception.”
He added, “If we truly want elections to reflect the will of the people, then we must remove every opportunity for manipulation. Electronic transmission is not optional; it is necessary.”
The former Anambra State governor appealed directly to members of the National Assembly to reverse the amendment.
“I appeal to our senators and representatives: please reconsider this decision. Do the right thing. History will remember where each of you stood at this critical moment.”
The protest, which drew support from human rights activists including Aisha Yesufu, comes amid widespread public criticism of the Electoral Act amendment passed by the Senate last week. Many civil society groups and political stakeholders have condemned the rejection of mandatory electronic transmission and have called for sustained protests.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had earlier said lawmakers removed the provision due to fears that real-time electronic transmission could lead to legal disputes in the event of network failures.
Meanwhile, amid growing pressure, the Senate has fixed an emergency plenary session for Tuesday to address controversies surrounding the Electoral Act amendment.
