Peter Obi criticizes tear-gassing of citizens calling for electoral reforms.
Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader Peter Obi has strongly condemned the actions of security forces that saw peaceful Nigerian citizens tear-gassed while they were protesting for comprehensive electoral reforms at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. Obi described the incident as a clear demonstration that the nation’s democratic ideals are being undermined at a time when citizens were exercising their constitutional rights to demand free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls. He said that harmless citizens who were advocating transparency and the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results were tear-gassed simply for asking for what is right in a democratic society, framing the move as an embarrassment to Nigeria and evidence that those who previously claimed to champion democracy had “become destroyers of our democracy and the worst enemies of good governance.” Obi called on Nigerians to reject what he described as continued efforts to erode democratic principles and urged unity in the fight for electoral integrity and accountability. He insisted that reforms such as real-time, mandatory electronic transmission of polling unit results are essential to building public trust in the electoral process and safeguarding the future of the country’s democratic system. His comments follow reports that security personnel fired tear gas at protesters gathered outside the legislature, including civil society groups and youths pressing for amendments to strengthen election laws, a development that has drawn widespread public attention and renewed debates over electoral transparency in Nigeria.
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