Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has explained why he did not take part in the recent protest at the National Assembly led by Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi. According to him, his absence was not due to lack of support for the cause but because he was not physically in Nigeria at the time of the protest.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai said he would have joined the demonstration if he had been in the country. He stressed that the demand for real-time electronic transmission of election results is important and remains one of the most effective ways to reduce election manipulation in Nigeria.

El-Rufai criticised the Senate for delaying action on proposed electoral reforms, suggesting that political interests were responsible for the slow pace. He argued that transmitting results directly from polling units would make rigging far more difficult and improve public trust in the electoral process.

The former governor also claimed that while the House of Representatives has shown support for the reform, the Senate has yet to follow suit. He accused the ruling party of resisting the changes out of fear that stronger electoral transparency could threaten its political survival.