Former Rivers State governor and ex-minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, joined protesters in Abuja on Tuesday over the Senate’s decision to reject compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results, bringing along his son, who is a medical doctor.
Amaechi said he took his son to the protest so he could give medical help if the situation turned violent.
He explained that protests should involve everyone, including politicians and their families, and not just ordinary citizens.
According to him, he wanted to show that leaders should stand with the people and not send others to protest while their own children remain abroad.
He said his son’s presence was also important because injuries could occur during such demonstrations and immediate treatment might be needed.
Amaechi added that protests are a civic duty and should not be left to a few individuals.
The former governor accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of opposing electronic transmission of election results because of fear of losing elections.
He called on opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, to come out and resist what he described as an attempt by one party to control the electoral process.
Amaechi argued that if the ruling party is confident in its popularity and control of many states, it should have no reason to oppose transparent election methods.
He said true political strength can only be measured by the will of the people.
He urged Nigerians to turn out in large numbers for protests, noting that security forces are often deployed to control crowds.
He said mass participation would discourage intimidation and encourage fairness.
Amaechi also said electronic transmission of results would reduce election-day violence, which he noted has claimed many lives over the years.
He claimed that powerful politicians are usually protected in their homes on election day while ordinary citizens face danger at polling units.
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