Amaechi Joins Protest at National Assembly Over Electoral Act

Former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday joined protesters at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to demand that real-time electronic transmission of election results be made compulsory in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

Amaechi was seen standing with demonstrators within the National Assembly premises, lending support to their call for clear provisions in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The protest focused on ensuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission is required by law to transmit election results electronically in real time from polling units.

The protest followed growing public debate over whether the proposed amendment should make electronic transmission mandatory or leave it to the discretion of INEC.

Demonstrators argued that unclear wording in the bill could allow room for manipulation of election results.

A day earlier, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had also joined the protest, adding momentum to the growing pressure on lawmakers to address concerns around election credibility and transparency.

The demonstration drew attention on social media after protesters were seen with mattresses and pillows at the National Assembly, a move widely seen as a sign of their resolve to remain at the venue until their demands were addressed.

Participants in the protest included civil society organisations, youth groups and concerned citizens. They insisted that the law must clearly state real-time electronic transmission to avoid any interpretation that could weaken the electoral process.

While many Nigerians support mandatory electronic transmission, some lawmakers have raised concerns about logistics and infrastructure, arguing that INEC should retain flexibility in how results are transmitted.

The Senate has repeatedly denied reports that it rejected the clause on electronic transmission, issuing statements to counter what it described as false claims.

Despite this, protesters have continued to press their demands, insisting that only clear and direct language in the law can guarantee credible elections.