Obi Leads Protest to National Assembly Over Electoral Act Amendment
The 2026 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday led a protest to the National Assembly, calling on federal lawmakers to reinstate provisions mandating electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
The protesters converged at the main entrance of the National Assembly complex, voicing opposition to the Senate’s decision to remove clauses that would have made electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal compulsory.
Demonstrators carried placards bearing messages such as “Say no to electoral fraud,” “Stop betrayal of the ballot,” and “The Senate must put citizens first,” while some directly appealed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to reconsider the decision
Several civil society actors and human rights activists joined the protest, including Aisha Yesufu, convener of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, alongside members of other advocacy groups.
The protest followed growing public backlash against amendments to the Electoral Act passed by the Senate last Wednesday. While multiple sections of the law were reviewed, critics have focused largely on the removal of the requirement for real-time electronic transmission of election results, which many argue is critical to electoral transparency.
Political parties, activists and social media users have since urged lawmakers to reverse the decision, with groups such as Enough is Enough mobilising supporters online under the hashtag #OccupyNASS.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Mr Obi appealed to members of the National Assembly to reconsider the amendment, warning against a return to disputed electoral processes.
He said Nigeria had previously endured the consequences of flawed elections and must avoid repeating such experiences.
According to him, mandatory electronic transmission would reduce disputes and restore public confidence in the electoral system, stressing that Nigerians no longer want excuses or technical failures to undermine elections.
The Senate President, Mr Akpabio, had earlier acknowledged that lawmakers intentionally removed the provision during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
Speaking at a book launch on Saturday, he said concerns over possible network failures and the legal challenges they could trigger informed the decision.
At the protest, Mrs Yesufu went further by calling for Mr Akpabio’s impeachment if the Senate refuses to align with public demands on electronic transmission. She accused the Senate leadership of failing to represent citizens’ interests and urged lawmakers to show the same resolve used in previous legislative decisions.
She also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to operate independently and transparently to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Amid sustained criticism, the Senate is expected to convene an emergency session on Tuesday to deliberate on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
