Former Minister of Transportation and one-time governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has explained why he attended the “Occupy the National Assembly” protest alongside his son.
Amaechi told reporters in Abuja on Tuesday that he brought his son, a doctor, as a safety measure in case the protest descended into violence and protesters were hurt.
The former governor of Rivers State added that his choice was a reflection of his conviction that leaders ought go join the people in large-scale demonstrations and be physically there rather than observing from a distance.
He urged opposition political parties to demonstrate against the Senate’s decision and urged Nigerians to rise up.
Amaechi also charged that the ruling All Progressives Congress was afraid of losing elections, which is why they were against the electronic transmission of poll results.
“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 went on to say that even if President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio turn a blind eye, opposition parties and civil society organisations would carry on with the demonstrations.
Amaechi also made a comparison between living conditions now and those under Muhammadu Buhari’s rule.
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 demonstration takes place in the midst of continuing debates over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill amendment in advance of the general elections in 2027, specifically regarding whether or not the Independent National Electoral Commission should be required to electronically broadcast results from polling places in real time.
The Senate has maintained that the provision should remain optional, citing logistical and infrastructure difficulties, despite the fact that many Nigerians have urged lawmakers to make real-time electronic broadcasting mandatory.
While demonstrators maintain that eliminating “real-time electronic transmission” leaves gaps that could be exploited, the Senate also provided reasons that said it did not completely eliminate electronic transmission.
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