Armed police officers on Tuesday fired teargas at protesters gathered at the entrance of the National Assembly complex in Abuja under the banner of #OccupyNASS.
The demonstrators had assembled to demand mandatory real time electronic transmission of election results in future polls. The rally was disrupted when security operatives moved in to disperse the crowd.
Among those present were former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, former African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, and former Social Democratic Party presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo.
The incident occurred shortly after the speakers urged protesters to remain committed to advocating electoral reforms. Police officers, reportedly led by the National Assembly Divisional Police Officer, deployed anti riot personnel to disperse the gathering.
Teargas canisters were fired into the crowd, triggering panic as protesters fled the area. Some demonstrators sustained injuries during the chaos.
Despite the initial dispersal, protesters later regrouped near the National Assembly gate and continued their demonstration. Additional police reinforcements arrived and fired more teargas in an effort to break up the crowd.
The protest drew activists, civil society groups and citizens calling on lawmakers to amend the Electoral Act to mandate immediate upload of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission results portal.
Protesters chanted slogans demanding that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the leadership of the National Assembly pass the proposed amendments without alteration.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had not issued an official statement on the incident.
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