…Lawmakers attempting to weaken elections credibility for political interest – Protesters
…Obi, Aisha Yesufu, others back Occupy National Assembly mass protest
By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Members of coalition of civil society organisations, alongside supporters of opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC, yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly Complex gate in Abuja.
Their grouse, AljazirahNigeria gathered was on the recently passed Electoral Act Amendment Bill where electronic transmission of result was rejected by the upper chamber.
It was gathered that protesters comming from different area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and neighbouring states arrived at the main gate of the National Assembly in the early hours, demanding urgent changes in the electoral laws to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic process.
The protesters were seen carrying diffrent placards bearing messages such as ‘Protect Our Votes,’ ‘No to Electoral Manipulation,’ and ‘Pass Electronic Transmission into Law’ as well as ‘stronger Reform, Stronger Nation’.
The protesters in their hundreds comprising mostly young men and women, also accused the lawmakers of attempting to weaken the credibility of elections in Nigeria for allege selfish political interest.
They insisted that any amendment to the Electoral Act must prioritise transparency, strengthen public confidence as well as reflect the total will of the electorate for the betterment of all citizenry and not some selected clique and few lawmakers.
Speaking during the protest, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi criticised the National Assembly’s stance on the electronic transmission of election results.
Obi, who was joined by another pro-democracy advocate and human right activists, Aisha Yesufu urged lawmakers to allow elections to proceed without political restrictions and interference.
According to Yesufu, “Allow the election to go through the normal process adding whatever the outcome is, we will accept it. Why introduce confusion after the process?”
The mass protest under the theme, “Occupy National Assembly”, drew Nigerian youths and pro-democracy activists within the Federal Capital Territory and beyond even as they unequivocally voiced out strong opposition to the Senate’s rejection of the electronic transmission clause.
AljazirahNigeria can authoritatively confirm that due to mass movement of motorists and protesters along the protest venue, heavy security presence was observed, possibly to prevent breakdown of laws and order.
While major entrance to the legislative complex was blocked pockets of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force,NPF, the Nigerian Army, NA, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,NSCDC, were deployed around the Lawmaking complex to maintain order.
Diffrent NGOs, CSOs, representatives who spoke during the protest are urgently calling on the National Assembly and most especially to the upper legislative chamber to reconsider its position on electronic transmission of results, which they describe as lifeline to credible and transparent elections in Nigeria.
As at the time of filing in this report, some protesters where still occupying the main entrance of the main legislative building insisting that they will not return home until their demands are met.
AljazirahNigeria reports that the Senate leadership has reconvene for plenary today to enable the Senate look into issues worrying the majority of the Peoples especially the controversial Electoral Act reform. Nigerians are in high hopes that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and the majority of the Senator will critically look into the Act clause by clause to assuage the feelings and reinstate the peoples confidence so as to increase citizens participation in civic duties.
