Former presidential candidate Peter Obi led thousands of protesters to Nigeria’s National Assembly demanding real-time transmission of election results, reigniting debates about electoral integrity in Africa’s most populous nation.
The protest comes as Nigeria prepares for future elections amid ongoing concerns about transparency in the electoral process. Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, has been a vocal critic of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s handling of results transmission.
Demonstrators are calling for constitutional amendments that would mandate immediate, electronic transmission of polling unit results to prevent manipulation during manual collation processes. Supporters argue this technology-driven approach would significantly reduce opportunities for electoral fraud and increase public confidence in democratic processes.
The protest represents growing citizen engagement in electoral reform, particularly among Nigeria’s youth population who increasingly demand greater accountability from political institutions. However, implementation of such reforms would require legislative action from a National Assembly dominated by the ruling party and main opposition.
