MCE to Institute Legal Action Against National Assembly, Nigerian Police over Brutality of Protesters at the National Assembly
…Tear Gas, Brute Force Cannot Silence the Sovereign Will of Nigerians for Democratic Reforms
The Movement for Credible Elections condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of the Nigeria Police in deploying tear gas and brute force against peaceful citizens protesting for Electoral Reforms and Democratic survival of Nigeria at the National Assembly.
In any functioning democracy, citizens have not only the right but the responsibility to peacefully demand transparency in electoral processes. The violent dispersal of unarmed protesters and citizens — at the very moment lawmakers were deliberating provisions that weaken safeguards around electronic transmission of election results — sends a deeply troubling signal.
When citizens ask for credible elections and are met with brute force, the question is no longer about democracy and procedure. It becomes about power.
The use of tear gas against peaceful demonstrators does not defend democracy; it undermines it. It creates the perception that state institutions are being deployed to shield controversial legislative actions from public scrutiny. That perception, whether intended or not, damages trust in both the legislature and law enforcement.
We remind the National Assembly that sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people. Electoral laws are not technical conveniences for political actors; they are the guardrails of our constitutional order. Any reform that preserves ambiguity in result transmission while silencing public dissent compounds institutional risk.
Movement for Credible Elections therefore demands:
1. Immediate and transparent investigation into the police action against protesters.
2. A public clarification from the National Assembly on its commitment to mandatory, clearly defined electronic transmission safeguards.
3. An open engagement process with civil society and citizens on electoral reform provisions.
Democracy does not collapse in dramatic moments alone. It erodes when lawful dissent is treated as disorder and when transparency is treated as optional.
The events of Tuesday will not intimidate Nigerians into silence. They will instead deepen resolve. The credibility of the 2027 elections begins now — with how institutions respond to lawful citizen engagement.
We urge all Nigerians and the allies of the MCE to remain peaceful, resolute, and vigilant towards the popular electoral reforms for the 2027 elections as we proceed to institute a formidable legal action against both the National Assembly and Nigerian Police for Brutalizing citizens protesting peacefully at the National Assembly for credible electoral frameworks for the 2027 elections.
Signed:
Olawale Okunniyi
(+23480339993867)
Head, National Secretariat
Movement for Credible Elections, MCE
