Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, joined protesters in Abuja on Tuesday as demonstrations continued against the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
The protest, which began on Monday, is in response to the Senate’s decision to oppose real-time electronic transmission of results during elections.
Amaechi, who attended the demonstration with his son, a medical doctor, said he brought him along in case the protest turned violent and people sustained injuries. He explained that his decision was also meant to show that leaders should stand at the forefront of major protests, alongside their families.
The African Democratic Congress called on Nigerians to join the protest, urging opposition parties to take to the streets in response to the Senate’s decision.
Amaechi alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress was resisting electronic transmission of results because it feared losing elections.
He said opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and the ADC, should unite in protest against what he described as an attempt by one party to dominate the political space.
Amaechi also questioned why the APC would oppose electronic transmission despite its claims of widespread political support, noting that several opposition governors and politicians had defected to the party.
He added that even if the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and President Bola Tinubu ignored the demands of protesters, opposition parties and civil society groups would continue their agitation until the decision was reversed.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force barricaded major roads leading to the National Assembly, where the Senate was scheduled to hold an emergency plenary session on Tuesday.
The protest is being led by human rights activist Aisha Yesufu, alongside several civil society organisations that initiated the demonstration.
