Amaechi

  A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has explained why he attended the “Occupy the National Assembly” protest alongside his son. Speaking with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, Amaechi said he came with his son, who is a medical doctor, as a precaution in case the demonstration turned violent and participants sustained injuries. The former Rivers State governor also said his decision reflected his belief that leaders should be physically present during major protests and stand with the people, rather than watch from a distance. He called on Nigerians to rise up, urging opposition political parties to take to the streets to protest the Senate’s decision. Amaechi further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of opposing the electronic transmission of election results out of fear of losing elections. “I believe that the opposition parties should come out—PDP, ADC, everybody should be out—to protest against the attempt of one party,” he said. “If we come out and they say the opposition has hijacked the protest, what is the APC doing? Are they not hijacking? What are they afraid of? I thought they said they have 31 governors. Tinubu is not Jonathan. The only way a good politician will know he has done well is by the people,” Amaechi added. He added that opposition parties and civil society organisations would continue the protests, even if Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu look the other way. Amaechi also juxtaposed current living conditions with what obtained during the Muhammadu Buhari administration he served in. He said, “It is worse now than it was then. In Buhari’s time, at least, even though we were planning to remove the subsidy, we had better plans for citizens.” The former minister further alleged that corruption has spiked under Tinubu. Asked whether he believed Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election, Amaechi said: “Let’s wait and see”, adding that it would be impossible for the incumbent to win the poll. “The will of the people must prevail,” he said. The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Monday, joined the protesters, lending his voice to calls for electoral transparency and credibility. The protest comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding the amendment of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly over whether the Independent National Electoral Commission should be mandated to transmit results electronically in real time from polling units. While many Nigerians have called on lawmakers to make real-time electronic transmission compulsory, the Senate have argued that the provision should remain discretionary, citing logistical and infrastructural concerns. The Senate also issued explanations claiming it did not scrap electronic transmission entirely, while protesters insist that removing “real-time electronic transmission” creates loopholes that could be exploited.