By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Dissatisfied with the results of the 2023 Presidential Election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday picketed the headquarters of the Commission at Maitama, Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
The party led by its flagbearer in the February 25 presidential election, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the leaders of PDP stormed the INEC office with many of their supporters to protest over the Declaration and Return of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect of Nigeria despite the the observations and agitations of some political parties that participated in the exercise.
Dressed in black clothes, the PDP protesters who arrived at INEC Headquarters at midday, carried placards with inscriptions such as: ‘We say no to Injustice and Fraud; Our Votes Must Count; INEC Release the Real Results; Save Our Democracy; Mahmood Yakubu Resign Now’, among others.
Speaking to pressmen at INEC security gate where they were met by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education Barrister Festus Okoye, PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, said the party came to hand in their protest letter to INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on what they see as injustice to the party and called on him to correct the mistakes by the Commission.
Earlier, Kola Ologbondiyan, former Publicity Secretary of PDP told reporters that the protest is to drive home their dissatisfaction over the election even as he asked the INEC Chairman to tell Nigerians the result of the Review of the Presidential election as he promised.
Meanwhile, Okoye who received the PDP protest letter in company of another National Commissioner, Barrister (Mrs) May Agbamuche-Mbu and other management staff, promised to hand over the protest letter to INEC Chairman.
He assured that the Commission is favourably disposed to do justice to all political parties, not only the PDP, saying that “INEC has no candidate in the elections and will never single out any party for favour”.
Other PDP chieftains who stormed the streets to protest are Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Secretary; Senator Dino Melaye; Barrister Daniel Bwala, etc.
