From David Onuoja, Abuja
Civil Society Organizations, Activists, and the last 2023 General Election Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, took the center stage when they marched to the National Assembly Complex in protest against the alleged rejection of Mandatory/Real-Time Transmission of Election Results by the Senate last week.
The group while marching with a song and slogan that says, “Our Votes Must Count”. “Our votes must count”. “enough is enough”, were blocked as Assembly gates were barricaded by the different heavy Security personnel posted to the complex ahead of the planned and well coordinated protest in Abuja today.
Before the arrival of the protesters, the Security agents had already locked all the gates leading to the National Assembly while positioning themselves with guns.
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Our Abuja correspondent, who monitored the event reported that the 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, activist Aisha Yesuf and Peter Nigeria, popularly known as “Peter the Rock”, was among the notable personalities involved in the protest.
Protesters who throng to the National Assembly with placards and banners carrying inscriptions such as electoral reforms now, real time e-result transmission, Akpabio, Senate, House of Rep amongst others, pass the electronic transmission of election results to iRev now.
Other Civil Society involved were, the Coalition of Nigerian Civic Society Situation Room, Yiaga Africa among others, demanding the senate to reverse its decision by including the Real Time Electronic Transmission of Election Results in the electoral act amendment bill.
The protesters action which caused tension in Abuja accused the senate of attempting to create a lacuna in Nigeria electoral reforms act that creates room for electoral manipulation.
In addition to their demands is that the Senate must vote in favour of clause 60 (3) that make electronic transmission of result mandatory.
Speaking during the protest, Mr Peter Obi maintained that Nigerians must not allow the National Assembly to manipulate the Country’s electoral process any longer.
As the electoral act standoff continues, Nigerians are awaiting what will come out of the emergency plenary schedule to hold by tomorrow.
