Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, stood alongside hundreds of demonstrators outside Nigeria’s National Assembly on Monday, voicing strong opposition to the Senate’s recent amendments to the Electoral Act that stripped away the “real-time” requirement for electronic transmission of election results. The action, part of a broader push by the Obidient Movement and pro-democracy activists, highlighted growing concerns over potential setbacks in the country’s electoral integrity as the 2027 polls approach.
The protest unfolded at the entrance to the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, where security forces—including personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps—barricaded the gates, preventing the crowd from entering. Demonstrators, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards with messages like “Our votes must count,” “No to electoral robbery,” and “Protect democracy now,” had marched from the Federal Secretariat to press their demands. Organizers dubbed the event “Occupy the National Assembly,” framing it as a direct response to what they see as deliberate efforts to erode transparency in the voting process.
At the heart of the controversy is the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill, 2026, which the Senate passed through its third reading last week. Critics zero in on the removal of the phrase “real-time” from sections governing the electronic transmission of results, arguing that this change could open doors to manipulation and delay during collation. While the Senate has released several clarifications maintaining that it did not outright reject electronic transmission, protesters contend that omitting “real-time” undermines protections against post-poll interference, potentially allowing for alterations that could compromise outcomes.
Speaking to journalists amid the gathering, Obi decried what he termed the ongoing erosion of democratic progress in Nigeria. “We must dismantle this criminality and prove that we are now a nation that shows light in Africa,” he said, emphasizing the need for robust laws to ensure electronic transmission of results. Drawing from past experiences, he added, “The danger was clear. We have suffered the danger. That’s what we have suffered before. We don’t want any glitch again. This is finished. We want things to come back to normal. No more glitch.” As the former governor of Anambra State, Obi’s presence energized the crowd, many of whom regard him as a key figure in the 2023 elections that mobilized youth and challenged entrenched political structures.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, reinforced the call for reform, stating that the push would persist until the National Assembly reinstates explicit provisions for real-time electronic transmission. “If there is no electronic transmission of results, there will be no election. Our elections must be credible,” he said. Tanko pointed to historical issues with manual collation in previous polls, which he said had enabled interference, underscoring the importance of electronic measures introduced in recent reforms.
Popular activist Randy Peters also addressed the protesters, accusing the political elite of undermining democratic principles and pledging sustained action. “Tomorrow, we will be back here until the Senate does the right thing. The current administration supported the June 12 campaign. It was about free and fair elections,” he said, invoking the legacy of the 1993 presidential election annulled by military ruler Ibrahim Babangida. Peters questioned the motives behind resisting transparency, asking, “Do we have Democrats who are afraid of losing elections? In 2027, our votes must count. The most important thing is that our votes must count. Tomorrow, they will meet us here again.”
Nigeria’s electoral landscape has long been shaped by cycles of reform and regression, rooted in a turbulent post-independence history. Since gaining sovereignty in 1960, the country has grappled with flawed polls that often reflected ethnic, regional, and political divisions. The 1964 federal elections, marred by violence and boycotts, contributed to the 1966 military coup that ended the First Republic. Subsequent military regimes held intermittent elections, but these were frequently criticized for rigging and lack of credibility.
The return to civilian rule in 1999 under the Fourth Republic brought incremental changes, yet the 2007 elections under President Olusegun Obasanjo were widely condemned as fraudulent by international observers, including the European Union, which noted widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and ballot stuffing. This prompted the establishment of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee in 2008, which recommended measures like an independent electoral body and technological safeguards to curb manipulation.
Momentum for electronic reforms accelerated after the 2011 elections, which, while improved, still faced accusations of fraud. The introduction of card readers in 2015 under the Independent National Electoral Commission marked a turning point, reducing multiple voting and enhancing accreditation. However, full electronic transmission remained elusive until the 2022 Electoral Act, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari amid pressure from civil society. This act incorporated the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and provisions for electronic result transmission, hailed as responses to demands from groups like the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the Centre for Democracy and Development.
The 2023 general elections tested these innovations, with the Independent National Electoral Commission deploying BVAS devices across polling units. Despite successes in voter verification, glitches in uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal sparked controversies, including legal challenges from opposition parties alleging systemic failures. Obi’s Labour Party, which garnered significant support from urban youth and the diaspora, contested the results that declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress as winner, citing transmission issues among other grievances. The Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory in October 2023, but debates over electoral transparency persisted.
The June 12, 1993 election, often cited as a benchmark for fairness, saw Moshood Abiola presumed victorious before its annulment, sparking nationwide protests and a prolonged crisis that led to Sani Abacha’s dictatorship. This event galvanized pro-democracy movements, influencing later reforms and symbolizing the public’s demand for credible processes. Today’s protesters, including the Obidient Movement—a grassroots network that emerged from Obi’s 2023 campaign—draw parallels, arguing that diluting electronic safeguards risks repeating historical injustices.
Related developments include a video circulating of protesters besieging the National Assembly over the transmission issue, as well as other national news such as Bauchi State’s governor sacking the commissioner for internal security and an aide to President Tinubu defending foreign trips as beneficial for local and global ties.
