02/10/2026
THINKING OUT LOUD
The Electoral Reforms Protest: Where Was Everyone on Monday?
The protest at the National Assembly on Monday was supposed to be a roar for our future. Instead, it felt like a whisper. As the Senate moves to sideline real-time electronic result transmission for the 2026/2027 cycle, the silence from key quarters was louder than any chant.
The Lonely Opposition…
Beyond a few familiar faces like Peter Obi, where were the "united front"? Atiku Abubakar and the others…???
It seems the major political blocs are too busy with internal math to fight for the rules of the game… sad narrative…!
The APC must have been giggling watching the protest in their air-conditioned cocoons…!
If the opposition doesn't show up for the process, do they really care about the outcome?
The "Yeyebrity" Silence…
Where were the influencers and celebrities who usually thrive on our engagement? When it’s time to trend for fashion or beef, the data flows; when it’s time to demand electoral transparency, the timelines go dark. Activism shouldn't be a seasonal outfit you only wear when it’s "cool."
Oh…perhaps, maybe our celebrities were busy lining up in front of the President’s son’s office, to collect the “City Boys” cap and other forced endorsements…
Everything is possible…only in Naija…!!!
The Great Nigerian Shrug…
But wait a minute…, it appears we’ve become a nation of "learned helplessness." The nonchalance on Monday proves that the "powers that be" have successfully exhausted us.
Or haven’t they?
We are so busy surviving today that we are letting them steal tomorrow. A real pity…!
Calling the Bluff…
The National Assembly sees the thin crowds. They see the lack of celebrity pressure.
They are simply calling our bluff…!!!
By rejecting mandatory e-transmission, they aren't just "protecting the process"—they are safeguarding their own political relevance. But can we really do beyond the protests… Go home and pray to the gods to notice…???
