A man who traveled from Lagos to Abuja to protest at the National Assembly has advocated for electronic transmission of election results.
Speaking passionately at the rally, the man stated that he came to ensure that Nigerians’ votes were correctly counted and warned against attempts to manipulate elections.
Man flies from Lagos to join Abuja protest over election transparency
Addressing the crowd, he said, “Akpabio has cooked for Nigeria—we are eating it. It’s now our time to return the favour and also cook for him. We will never accept anything short of electronic transmission of election results—nothing more, nothing less.”
The man, holding a large pot and spoon as a symbolic gesture, emphasized that citizens must hold political leaders accountable for previous electoral failures.
He disputed claims that poor network coverage in rural areas could impede real-time result transmission, citing statistics to support his point..
“There is no street in Nigeria today where there isn’t a POS machine. About 140 million Nigerians are connected to the internet, while total registered voters in 2023 were 93 million. How do you convince me that we cannot transmit election results electronically?” he said.
The protester also referenced previous elections, pointing out that citizens were misled during the 2023 polls.
“If you fool me once, the shame is on you. You cannot fool us twice. In 2023 they fooled us. 2027 we will not allow this to happen again,” he said, highlighting the need for transparent electoral processes ahead of future elections.
Protester calls for mandatory electronic transmission of results
He urged the government and INEC to implement reforms, noting that access to electricity and internet services now make electronic transmission feasible across the country.
“93% of polling booths in Nigeria are covered by network. There is no reason why election results cannot be transmitted electronically in real-time,” he said.
The protest in Abuja comes amid nationwide debates on electoral reform, with citizens demanding transparency and accountability in the conduct of elections.
The demonstrators are calling for urgent action from lawmakers and electoral authorities to ensure that future elections are free, fair, and technology-driven.