Apostle Eugene Ogu warns National Assembly’s stance threatens Nigeria’s democracy, calls for global pressure ahead of 2027 polls

A former Rivers State chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Eugene Ogu, has petitioned the governments of the United States and the United Nations over the National Assembly’s refusal to approve real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the move as a grave danger to Nigeria’s democratic future.

Ogu, who is also the founder of Abundant Life Evangel Mission in Port Harcourt, said the position of the federal legislature undermines public trust in elections and opens the door to large-scale manipulation. He urged the European Union and the broader international community to intervene, accusing Nigeria’s political leadership of pursuing “anti-masses” agendas.

In a strongly worded petition made available to journalists on Friday, the cleric warned lawmakers he described as “political contractors in the National Assembly” to desist from actions capable of destabilising the country. He cautioned that any attempt to derail constitutional democracy would be resisted by Nigerians.

According to Ogu, Nigerians have endured years of poor governance marked by widespread corruption, decaying infrastructure, unreliable power supply, weak healthcare and education systems, insecurity, and eroding confidence in the judiciary. However, he insisted that tampering with the electoral process is a red line.

“Only a free, fair, transparent and lawful electoral process—with compulsory electronic transmission of results as envisaged in the constitution—is what Nigerians demand,” the petition stated. “The National Assembly must not play games with the nation’s democracy.”

The cleric accused the Senate’s rejection of real-time electronic transmission of being “an open invitation to rig the 2027 presidential election and fraudulently manipulate the will of the people.”

He called on the international community, democracy advocates, and major civil society organisations—including the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Nigerian Bar Association, Academic Staff Union of Universities, PFN and the Christian Association of Nigeria—to speak out and pressure lawmakers to pass the bill without delay.

Ogu further urged foreign governments and embassies to withhold travel privileges from Nigerian politicians until they respect the will of the people by enacting the legislation.

He also criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other lawmakers for treating the issue lightly, warning that forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to manage a disputed electoral process in 2027 could expose them to unnecessary risks.

“The greatest hero of Nigeria will not be who ruled the country,” Ogu said, “but who ensured a free and fair electoral process.”

While commending senators who supported electronic transmission, he appealed to all members of the National Assembly to resist being used against the collective will of Nigerians.