Abuja Sunday Abo Risad
Former Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi took his fight for credible elections squarely to the gates of parliament on Monday, joining hundreds of demonstrators in a dramatic show of defiance against what demonstrators described as a new attempt to rig the 2027 election by the back door.
The protests, dubbed the “Occupy of Parliament,” were sparked by the Senate’s controversial decision to remove the word “real time” from provisions on the electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Law Amendment Bill, a move that critics say fatally weakens safeguards against post-election manipulation.
Obi’s sudden appearance excited the crowd. Demonstrators, mostly from the obedient movement, civil society groups and pro-democracy groups, besieged the Capitol, chanting protest songs and brandishing placards reading “Our votes must count,” “No to election theft” and “Defend our democracy now.”
Security forces from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps erected heavy barricades at the facility, preventing protesters from entering and forcing them to demonstrate outside the main gate.
Addressing journalists in a tense atmosphere, Obi warned that Nigeria was moving dangerously backwards and accused political elites of facilitating “electoral crimes” that threatened the country’s stability.
“We must dismantle this criminality and prove that Nigeria can still show light in Africa,” Obi declared, stressing that credible elections remain the bedrock of development, unity and peace.
Last week, the House of Lords passed the Electoral Laws (Repeal and Re-Enactment) 2026 Amendment Bill 2022, but controversy erupted over the removal of the words “real-time electronic transmission” from a key clause.
The Senate has since insisted it has not rejected electronic transmission outright, but protesters say the ambiguity creates a breeding ground for manipulation when collating results.
Mr. Obi’s attendance at the protests further energized his supporters, who see him as an enduring symbol of the youth-led political awakening of 2023 that has disrupted Nigeria’s traditional political order.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Global Obedience Movement, vowed that the protests would continue until Parliament explicitly reinstates real-time electronic transmission of results by law.
“If the results are not transmitted electronically, there will be no election,” Tanko warned. “Our elections must be trustworthy.”
He recalled that past elections were plagued by manual interference, flaws in election technology that were designed to be eliminated in reforms after the 2007 polls, which had serious flaws.
Technological innovations such as card readers in 2015 and BVAS in 2022 have improved transparency, but activists argue that real-time transmission remains the missing link.
Popular activist Randy Peters also accused the political class of betraying democratic ideals, citing the spirit of the June 12, 1993 elections, widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
“Are there any Democrats who are afraid of losing the election?” Peters asked. “In 2027, our votes must count. Tomorrow, we’ll be back here.”
Earlier, tensions had gripped the parliament as demonstrators gathered at the entrance of the parliament under tight security following a call to action from human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who called on Nigerians to resist what he described as a calculated attempt to jeopardize future elections.
At the time of filing this report, security around parliament remained tight, but protesters vowed to keep up the pressure until the requirement for clear, real-time electronic transmission of results is enshrined in law.
