By Muhammad Mamman
Abuja, Nigeria – Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has joined protesters in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, amid growing public anger over the Senate’s rejection of mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the protest ground, Amaechi revealed that he attended the demonstration alongside his first son, a medical doctor, whom he said was present to provide emergency care should anyone be injured.
“I brought my first son to join the protest. He is a medical doctor; his job is, if there’s injury, to treat the injured ones,” Amaechi said.
The protests form part of a wider nationwide backlash against lawmakers’ decision to remove electronic transmission of results from proposed amendments to Nigeria’s Electoral Act — a move critics say undermines transparency and could weaken public confidence in future elections.
Civil society groups, opposition figures and pro-democracy activists have described the Senate’s action as a setback for electoral reforms, warning that it risks reversing hard-won gains in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Demonstrators in Abuja carried placards calling for credible elections and demanding that lawmakers reinstate electronic transmission of results, while security operatives monitored the gathering.
Amaechi’s presence at the protest adds political weight to the growing resistance, highlighting rare public dissent from within the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Organisers of the protests say they will continue to mobilise citizens until the National Assembly revisits the controversial provision, insisting that transparent elections are essential to Nigeria’s democratic future.
