By Achile Danjuma
Tensions surrounding the controversial Electoral Act 2026 manifested on the streets of Abuja on Friday, as a coalition of civil society groups staged a peaceful march in a show of support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The demonstrators urged the public to ignore calls they view as attempts to distract the Commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protesters, identifying themselves as the Arewa Grassroots Leaders Assembly (AGLA), gathered at the National Assembly complex before marching to the INEC headquarters. They chanted solidarity songs and brandished placards with messages including, “Chairman, Stay the course,” “We support free, fair and peaceful elections,” and “Defend democracy.”
The demonstration follows the Senate’s rejection, just 24 hours prior, of demands for a new amendment to the Electoral Act. Prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former governors Peter Obi (Anambra) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), had called for an immediate review, labeling the current law as anti-democratic and prejudicial ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Senate responded by dismissing the agitation and advising the critics to utilize the established legislative process.
Speaking to journalists at the protest site, AGLA’s National President, Collins Onogu, emphasized that their gathering was one of encouragement, not condemnation.
“We have assembled here peacefully at the INEC headquarters to lend our voices not in protest, but in commendation. This is a solidarity protest,” Onogu stated. “It is a message to say that Nigeria sees the progress being made, and we ask that it continues.”
Onogu praised the INEC Chairman, who assumed office in October 2025, for demonstrating “administrative will, institutional courage, and a commitment to electoral reforms.” He highlighted the peaceful conduct of recent elections as evidence of this progress.
“Within a short period, the Commission under his leadership has successfully conducted three major electoral exercises: the Anambra governorship election, the FCT Area Council elections, and bye-elections in Kano and Rivers States,” Onogu said.
He noted that both domestic and international observers found these elections to be “largely peaceful, procedurally transparent, technologically progressive, and administratively coordinated.”
He concluded, “We stand here today to acknowledge that this leadership aligns with institutional integrity.”