Prophet Isa El-Buba and several protesters were allegedly teargassed on Monday during a demonstration demanding mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
In a trending video circulating online, El-Buba said security operatives fired tear gas at peaceful protesters who gathered to press for electoral reforms.
The protest comes amid growing public outrage over the national assembly’s position on the electronic transmission of election results.
‘All They Are Asking For Is Real-Time E-Transmission’
Speaking in the video, El-Buba said the demonstrators made a “simple request” and accused authorities of responding with force instead of dialogue.
“This request is a simple request by the people. Simple request by the citizen,” he said.
“And all that they need to do is to listen to the citizen and not to come and threaten the citizen.”
He said he joined the protest in solidarity with young Nigerians demanding electoral transparency.
“I am here as a priest. I came to see what’s going on and to stand with these young people,” he added.
According to him, the protesters only want “mandatory real-time e-transmission of results.”
‘We Are Not Deterred’
El-Buba alleged that security operatives deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd despite the peaceful nature of the protest.
“You can imagine Nigerians in a peaceful demonstration, and you’re pumping tear gas,” he said.
However, he insisted the demonstrators would not back down.
“We are not deterred. There is no going back,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to take responsibility for the country’s democratic future.
“You are responsible for deciding what happens in your country. You either allow tyranny or you allow democracy to reign in your country,” he said.
Call for Electoral Transparency
El-Buba accused political leaders of attempting to suppress citizens’ demands.
“They want to steal the vote of the people. It will not work,” he said.
He maintained that protesters would continue to insist that votes must count.
“We continue to insist our vote must count. We want mandatory real-time e-transmission of results. No going back.”
The video has since sparked reactions online, with many users debating the use of force against demonstrators and the broader controversy surrounding the electronic transmission of election results.
