A former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has explained the reason he attended the “Occupy the National Assembly” protest together with his son.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Amaechi said he came with his son, who is a medical doctor, as a safety measure in case the protest became violent and participants suffered injuries.
The former Rivers State governor also said his action showed his belief that leaders should be physically present at major protests and stand with the people, rather than observe from afar.
He urged Nigerians to rise, calling on opposition political parties to take to the streets to protest the Senate’s decision.
Amaechi further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of resisting the electronic transmission of election results because 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 sustain the protests, even if Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu ignore them.
Amaechi also compared current living conditions with what prevailed 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 also alleged that corruption has increased 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.
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 continuing controversies surrounding the amendment of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially over whether the Independent National Electoral Commission should be compelled to transmit results electronically in real time from polling units.
While many Nigerians have urged lawmakers to make real-time electronic transmission mandatory, the Senate has argued that the provision should remain optional, citing logistical and infrastructural challenges.
The Senate also issued explanations claiming it did not scrap electronic transmission completely, while protesters insist that removing “real-time electronic transmission” creates loopholes that could be exploited.
