Prophet Isa El-Buba, president of El-Buba Outreach International and a leading figure in the Nigerian Pentecostal movement, has told Channels Television how he was teargassed by security operatives at the National Assembly whilst peacefully advocating for clear electoral reforms. He explained that he had just returned from the United States where he attended the International Religious Freedom Summit and went straight to the National Assembly as a member of the Coalition for Electoral Reforms.
El-Buba said that he arrived at the National Assembly and joined young Nigerians who were peacefully presenting their position on electronic transmission of election results. He explained that as a father and grandfather, he was excited to see young Nigerians standing with conviction for a Nigeria that works, adding that he stood behind them and presented their position asking lawmakers to make the electoral process simple with no ambiguities.
El-Buba said they were asking that the law should clearly state that election results must be transmitted in real time and be mandatory, so that ordinary Nigerians could read and understand it without technicalities that would allow courts to appoint governors and political leaders instead of letting the people’s votes count. He explained that they came peacefully to the National Assembly, which is the house of Nigerians just like Capitol Hill is the house of Americans, and he was received with honour when he went to America, but in his own country, after making their presentation, the response they received was teargas.
El-Buba added that the teargas used was different from what he had experienced many years ago, explaining that this one penetrated deep into the skin. He said his youngest son, who has been following him since childhood watching him fight for Nigeria, was drenched in the gas with tears running down his eyes as he tried to stabilise his father who was covered in smoke. He said young people came around him and gave him things to put in his nose and eyes, but some people fainted from the gas.
Prophet Isa El-Buba said: “I flew in from the states after my five to six days tour. Then coming home that same morning I went to the National Assembly. I just dropped my things in the hotel. I took my wife to get some skin care and then I went to the National Assembly to see what’s going on on the state of the electoral reforms. To my amazement, after we made our presentation, peaceful, wonderful, and driven by young people, the next thing I received that I’ve not seen for many years was teargas. It was teargas that I know the way others used to feel it, but this one was going into the skin. My son who is my last son, he has been following me from childhood, see me fighting for the soul of Nigeria. My son was drenched in teargas. Tears were running down his eyes. Here was his father covered with smoke and he was trying to get his father stabilised. The young people came around me and gave me things to put into my nose and into my eyes. But some people fainted……See More
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