A United Kingdom-based Nigerian lawyer, Dayo Babalola, has alleged that protesters who confronted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, outside Chatham House in London were paid to stage the demonstration.
Babalola, who said he witnessed the incident on Thursday, claimed that some members of the group received money from a man wearing New Democratic Congress-branded memorabilia.
In a statement on Friday, the lawyer disputed accounts of the demonstration circulating on social media, arguing that the actions of a small group should not be presented as the position of Nigerians living in the UK or the wider diaspora.
Start tomorrow informed
Save your place for the morning brief. We’ll start emailing when delivery goes live.
Free. Confirm by email. Unsubscribe anytime.
He estimated that between 10 and 15 people participated in the protest, which took place after Amupitan's engagement at Chatham House.
The INEC chairman had spoken at an event titled “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot”, where he discussed the country's democratic future and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The protesters reportedly blocked his vehicle as he left the venue, demanding that he address alleged irregularities in the voters' register and calling for his resignation over claims that the electoral commission had compromised its independence.
However, Babalola maintained that the demonstration did not disrupt the official engagement, adding that Amupitan completed his presentation, answered questions and participated in the panel discussion.
He also alleged that some protesters wore memorabilia bearing the image of Peter Obi before dispersing after Chatham House security intervened and the police were called.
Recounting his encounter with some of them later on Jermyn Street, Babalola said he witnessed a man wearing NDC-branded memorabilia paying members of the group.
“When they saw me, they threw a few insults at me, and I smiled and simply said, ‘At least you guys have now made some small pounds to pay your bills for a few days,’” he said.
The lawyer also rejected suggestions that Amupitan's engagement was poorly attended, saying nearly 200 people were physically present at the venue.
According to him, about 374 participants also registered and joined the programme online, indicating considerable interest in the engagement.
Babalola acknowledged Nigerians' right to protest against public officeholders but warned against generalising the actions of a few individuals.
He said, “There is a clear distinction between a legitimate protest and an attempt to manufacture a narrative for political propaganda.”
He added that social media commentators should establish the facts before amplifying claims about the incident.
“Those two events should not be misrepresented as one, nor should the actions of a handful of individuals be attributed to Nigerians in the diaspora,” he said.
Babalola stressed that his intervention was aimed at correcting what he considered misleading accounts of the incident, rather than defending any political party.
The allegations that the protesters were paid were made by Babalola and were not independently established in the account.
Discussion0