- Safiu Kehinde
Protesters have on Friday stormed the National Assembly complex in agitation over the alleged removal of the clause for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from the 2022 Electoral Act amendment bill.
NPO Reported that the Senate was alleged to have rejected the provision for the mandatory transmission of results electronically while passing other provisions of the amendment bill.
This had sparked mixed reactions from members of the public despite Senate’s denial of the removal with some members of the red chamber also personally clarifying the claims.
The Senate’s clarification however proved futile as the protesters stormed the NASS complex on Friday accusing the Senate of orchestrating electoral fraud.
As captured in a video shared on X, the protesters, comprising of the Obidient Movement and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Youth Wing, marched to the legislative house in Abuja with placards containing different inscriptions.
They demanded the lawmakers’ inclusion of the mandatory e-transmission of results.
Some of the inscriptions read “Akpabio e-transmission is a must”; “We say no to electoral fraud”; and “e-transmission is progress not retrogression; ” amongst others.
The development had also seen some opposition political parties raise objections with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) accusing the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of influencing the Senate’s decision.
Meanwhile, the passed bill had been transferred to the House of Representatives for with a committee established for the harmonisation provisions of the bill as passed by both chambers.