By News Correspondent
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has declared his full support for the “Occupy NASS” protest led by Peter Obi, stating that only his absence from the country prevented him from marching alongside the former Labour Party presidential candidate on Monday.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Trust TV from Egypt on Tuesday, El-Rufai threw his weight behind the agitation for the mandatory electronic transmission of election results, describing it as the “only vaccine” against the perennial virus of result manipulation in Nigeria.
“I am with them in spirit”
The former governor, who is now a key figure in the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), did not mince words regarding his stance on the current legislative impasse.
The former governor, who is now a key figure in the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), did not mince words regarding his stance on the current legislative impasse.
“If I were in Nigeria, I would have been at the National Assembly gates with Peter Obi and the other patriots yesterday,” El-Rufai said. “The issue of electronic transmission is not a partisan matter; it is a matter of national survival. We cannot continue to allow the will of the people to be hijacked at collation centers.”
The Bone of Contention
The protest, which grounded activities at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on February 9, was sparked by a controversial move in the Senate to weaken clauses in the Electoral Act. Protesters and opposition leaders are demanding that the phrase “real-time” be explicitly reinstated to describe the transmission of results from polling units to the central server.
The protest, which grounded activities at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on February 9, was sparked by a controversial move in the Senate to weaken clauses in the Electoral Act. Protesters and opposition leaders are demanding that the phrase “real-time” be explicitly reinstated to describe the transmission of results from polling units to the central server.
El-Rufai alleged that the resistance to this reform comes from a segment of the political class that is “terrified of a transparent process.”
“Rigging does not happen at the polling units where people are watching; it happens during the manual movement of papers to collation centers. Once you mandate real-time electronic transmission, you kill the business of the riggers. That is why they are fighting it,” he added.
A New Alliance?
The public alignment between El-Rufai and Peter Obi—two men who were on opposite sides of the political divide in 2023—has sent ripples through the Nigerian political landscape. Their collaboration within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) signifies a broadening front against the ruling party as the 2027 general elections approach.
The public alignment between El-Rufai and Peter Obi—two men who were on opposite sides of the political divide in 2023—has sent ripples through the Nigerian political landscape. Their collaboration within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) signifies a broadening front against the ruling party as the 2027 general elections approach.
Civil society organizations have vowed to continue the picketing of the National Assembly until the lawmakers yield to the demand for a digital-first electoral process.
As of Tuesday morning, the Senate leadership has yet to issue an official response to El-Rufai’s comments or the ongoing pressure from the “Obidient Movement” and its new allies.
