By Muhammad Mamman
A senior government official has ignited controversy after appearing to deride demonstrators pressing for greater electoral transparency outside the National Assembly in the capital.
Imo Akpan, a federal commissioner with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), drew sharp criticism on Monday when a comment attributed to his verified social media account appeared to mock protesters who had converged on the National Assembly complex demanding the legal backing of real‑time electronic transmission of election results. 
The protesters, drawn from civil society organisations and pro‑democracy groups, had gathered under the banner “Occupy National Assembly” to press lawmakers to enshrine mandatory real‑time transmission of results into Nigeria’s electoral law, a reform advocates say is critical to reducing manipulation and strengthening public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections. 
In a comment on a Punch newspaper Facebook post showing images from the protest, Mr Akpan, who represents Akwa Ibom State at the RMAFC, wrote in Pidgin English that “Sunshine for Abuja no get time for protesters,” an apparent attempt to ridicule those demonstrating outside the legislature. 
Asked about the remark by a PREMIUM TIMES reporter later in the day, the commissioner denied posting it, describing the matter as “strange” and requesting that the screenshot of the comment be forwarded to him for verification. Shortly thereafter, the comment was removed from the social media thread. 
The incident comes amid heightened national debate over electoral reform following the Senate’s recent amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, in which it initially stripped explicit language requiring real‑time electronic result transmission — a decision that fuelled protests and criticism from opposition figures, legal professionals and civil society organisations. 
Protesters argue that compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit results directly from polling units in real time would curb long‑standing concerns over vote tampering and opaque collation processes. Opponents of the strict wording have raised practical concerns about infrastructure and legal liabilities in the event of network failures. 
Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, joined demonstrators at the National Assembly on Monday, reinforcing calls for lawmakers to clarify and strengthen electoral transparency measures. 
The controversy has placed renewed focus on the delicate balance between reforming Nigeria’s electoral system and managing political sensitivities in an increasingly charged democratic landscape.
