Why we besieged NASS – Protesters

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

Pro-democracy protesters on Monday besieged the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, demanding that lawmakers explicitly provide for the mandatory, real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

The demonstrators, who converged on the main entrance of the complex in the early hours of the day, said their action was prompted by reports that the Senate had rejected a clause making electronic transmission of results compulsory.

They insisted that the amended law must clearly include the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” to eliminate ambiguity and strengthen the credibility of future elections.

Carrying placards calling for transparency and credible polls, the protesters vowed to sustain pressure on the legislature until their demand is reflected verbatim in the final draft of the bill. They argued that anything short of an unambiguous provision could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and leave room for manipulation.

The protest comes amid public controversy surrounding the Senate’s consideration of the Electoral Act amendment. Although the upper chamber has issued clarifications, insisting it did not oppose electronic transmission of results and that its position was being misunderstood, the protesters maintained that clarity must be entrenched in the law itself and not left to interpretation or administrative discretion.

Security was visibly tightened around the National Assembly as the protest unfolded. Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to maintain law and order and prevent any security breach within the complex. Vehicular movement around the area was also partially restricted.

As of the time of filing this report, the demonstration remained peaceful, with protesters urging lawmakers to act in line with public expectations and global best practices by guaranteeing real-time electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.

The post Why we besieged NASS – Protesters appeared first on Vanguard News.