Why I attended N’Assembly protest with my son — Amaechi

Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has explained that he attended the “Occupy the National Assembly” protest in Abuja with his son as a safety precaution in case the demonstration turned violent.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Amaechi said his son, a medical doctor, accompanied him to provide medical assistance should any protesters sustain injuries.

He added that his presence at the rally was driven by his belief that leaders should stand physically with the people during major protests rather than observe from afar.

Amaechi urged Nigerians, particularly opposition political parties, to take to the streets in protest against the Senate’s position on key provisions of the Electoral Act amendment, especially the electronic transmission of election results.

“I believe the opposition parties should come out—PDP, ADC, everybody should be out—to protest against the attempt of one party,” he said.

He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of resisting electronic transmission out of fear of losing elections, questioning why the party appeared uneasy despite controlling several states.

“If we come out and they say the opposition has hijacked the protest, what is the APC doing? What are they afraid of?” Amaechi asked.

The former minister said opposition parties and civil society groups would sustain the protests regardless of the stance of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and President Bola Tinubu.

He also criticised current economic conditions, claiming they had worsened compared to the Muhammadu Buhari administration in which he served.

“It is worse now than it was then. In Buhari’s time, at least, we had better plans for citizens,” he said, alleging that corruption had increased under the present government.

When asked about Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 presidential election, Amaechi said it would be difficult for the incumbent to win, adding that “the will of the people must prevail.”

The protest follows ongoing debates over the proposed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly whether the Independent National Electoral Commission should be mandated to transmit results electronically in real time from polling units.

While many Nigerians and civil society groups have called for compulsory real-time electronic transmission to enhance transparency, the Senate has argued that the provision should remain discretionary due to logistical and infrastructural challenges.