Presidential Election: PDP governors, leaders to protest at INEC headquarters

The People’s Democratic Party’s National Chairman, Mr. Iyorchia Ayu, will lead a protest march to the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja on Monday (today) in response to the results of the presidential election held on February 25.

However, the incident has raised concerns in the Federal Capital Territory as people feared the march might develop into violence as a result of the ire over the conduct and results of the elections.

In addition to Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, other governors like Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Bala Mohammed of Bucchi, and Darius Ishaku of Taraba are anticipated to take part in the march, which is set to begin at 10am from the PDP headquarters at Legacy House in Maitama.

Bola Tinubu, the standard bearer for the All-Progressives Congress, was proclaimed the victor of the election on Wednesday by the electoral commission after receiving 8, 794, 726 votes, representing 25% of the total votes cast in 30 states.

However, the PDP and Labour parties rejected the election’s results in separate press conferences, claiming victory and pledging to fight the verdict in court.

But on Sunday, the PDP, in a memo signed by the Director of Administration on behalf of the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Tambuwal, invited Ayu, the PDP presidential running mate, Okowa and other governors to the protest march.

Also invited were former Senate Presidents, David Mark and Bukola Saraki, Board of Trustees members, National Executive Committee members, National Working Committee members, Directors, Deputy and Assistant Directors of the National Election Management Committee, Presidential Campaign Council members as well as Persons Living With Disabilities.

It reads, “I am directed to respectfully invite your excellencies: The National Chairman, Dr Iyrochia Ayu, The Vice-Presidential Candidate and Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Okowa, Governors of Akwa Ibom and Chairman of PCC, Mr Udom Emmanuel, Sokoto state and DG of PCC, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Governors of Bayelsa, Edo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba and Osun states;

“Former Senate Presidents, Senator David Mark and Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, BoT members, NEC members, the PDP Senators and House of Representatives Members, NWC members of the party, DDGs, Directors, Deputies and Assistant Directors of NCMC; Members of the PCC; leadership of People Living with Disabilities and all other stakeholders to a protest match to INEC office.’’

Participants are instructed to dress in all-black to symbolize the somber atmosphere of the event.

In an interview, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the PDP’s deputy national publicity secretary, indicated that the protest was intended to express the party’s frustration with the rigged election and demand that it be canceled.

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“It (the protest) is to register its grievances and disenchantment following the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections,” he said.

However, the APC warned the PDP against using its planned street march to encourage people to breach the law.

In response to the planned demonstration, Felix Morka, the APC’s national publicity secretary, said it was sad the PDP had to resort to a public disruption rather than concentrating on the legal action it has taken to challenge the outcome of Saturday’s presidential election.