Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), on Monday led protesters to the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to oppose the senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results.

The protest drew participants from student and civil society groups, members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and supporters from the Obidient Movement.

Addressing the crowd, Obi urged lawmakers to allow elections to follow due process, stressing that credible outcomes would be accepted by all parties. “Allow the elections to go through the normal process. Whoever wins, we would accept,” he said, as protesters chanted solidarity songs.

On February 4, the senate passed the Electoral Act amendment bill after hours of deliberation. The bill reduced the period for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish a notice of election from 360 to 180 days. However, lawmakers rejected a clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of results and instead retained provisions allowing INEC to determine the mode of results transfer.

The decision sparked widespread backlash online, particularly over clause 60(3), which sought to make real-time electronic transmission to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal compulsory after the signing of Form EC8A at polling units.

Following the public outcry, the senate scheduled an emergency plenary sitting for Tuesday, February 10, on the directive of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to a notice signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo.