Chaos erupted on Tuesday at the National Assembly when Nigeria Police Force personnel fired teargas at protesters who had gathered to oppose the Senate’s approval of both electronic transmission and manual collation of election results.
The incident occurred at the main entrance after some demonstrators attempted to force their way into the complex.
Hundreds of protesters, including women, were caught in the panic, with some falling over one another while trying to escape the fumes. An elderly woman reportedly fainted after inhaling the teargas.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore described the police action as a direct attack on democracy.
“This has translated into a declaration of war on Nigerians, a war against participatory democracy. For the first time, the police were using compressed containers that penetrate through your skin. Over two people have collapsed, and we’re calling on Nigerians to head down to the National Assembly,” he said.
Sowore added that the protesters were merely demanding access to the gallery during an emergency session, arguing that citizens should have the right to monitor proceedings within the National Assembly.
“We were asking them: when you visit from another country, you have access to the capitol hall. Why can’t we get into our own National Assembly without being separated from the so-called elected representatives of the people? We must be part of the gallery where the emergency meeting is holding so we can monitor what is within our rights as citizens,” he said.
The protesters also insisted that despite the police action, they would not relent until their demands were met.
