BREAKING: Occupy National Assembly Protest Kicks Off in Abuja

Protesters on Monday stormed the entrance gate of the National Assembly Complex in Abuja over the controversies that have followed the Senate’s position on the electronic transmission of election results.

The protesters began their march from the Federal Secretariat, heading towards the National Assembly gate.

The protesters had vowed to storm the National Assembly to push for the mandatory electronic transmission of results as part of the Electoral Act amendment in Nigeria.

This follows several reports that the Senate had rejected the clause for the mandatory transmission of electronic results in the ongoing amendment.

However, the Senate has issued several clarifications and denied any complixity but the protesters insist that lawmakers must be explicit by including the phrase “real-time electronic transmission” in the proposed legislation.

At the time of filing this report, Naija News reports that there was a heavy security presence at the scene of the protest, with personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on the ground to maintain law and order.

Some of the protesters who spoke with Channels Television disclosed that they have no plan to enter the National Assembly premises, as the protest is expected to take place mainly at the entrance.

Recall that stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had warned that they may mobilise mass protests or push for a boycott of future elections over what is described as the Senate’s contradictory stance on the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on the electronic transmission of election results.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the Senate’s actions risk undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and democracy. Read Full Story

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