Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has defended his participation in ongoing protests against the Senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of election results, saying he deliberately brought his son to the demonstration to counter claims that politicians encourage protests while keeping their families abroad.
Amaechi made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking at the protest ground, amid growing demonstrations by Nigerians demanding stronger electoral transparency and reforms.
Addressing protesters, the former governor said critics often accuse political leaders of pushing citizens to the streets while shielding their loved ones from potential danger.
He said his decision to attend the protest with his son was meant to demonstrate personal conviction and shared risk.
“There are those who say that we, the politicians, want protests but our children are overseas. Here is my first son; I brought him to join the protest.
He is a medical doctor. His job is to treat the injured ones if there are any injuries,” Amaechi said.
He explained that his son’s presence was symbolic, stressing that leaders should stand at the forefront of civic actions alongside their families, especially during moments of national importance. Amaechi added that the move also reflected readiness in the event the protest turned violent.
The former governor urged Nigerians to rise in opposition to the Senate’s decision, insisting that resistance to mandatory electronic transmission of results should not be left to a single political group.
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“I believe that the opposition parties should come out—PDP, ADC, everybody should be out to protest against the attempt of one party,” he said.
Amaechi also dismissed claims that protests could be hijacked by opposition forces, questioning why similar accusations were not made against the ruling party. He maintained that true democratic leadership should ultimately be judged by the people, not political dominance.
The protest forms part of a broader wave of civic actions demanding electoral reforms ahead of future elections, as public pressure mounts on lawmakers to reconsider their stance on electronic transmission of results.