[PHOTOS] Atiku, Ayu, Others Lead Protest To INEC Headquarters

• Protest to be held daily, Atiku declares

 

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday led a ‘black uniform’ protest to the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to protest the outcome of the February 25 poll.

 

The PDP flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar; the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu; the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, amongst other leaders of the party led the protest.

 

The protesters later blocked the INEC headquarters’ entrance. The security personnel at the Commission have since locked the gate.

 

At the INEC gate, the protest letter was delivered to INEC officials led by Mr. Festus Okoye. 

Addressing media men, the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar said the protest would continue daily or as long as it takes. 

Others at the protest include the Chairman of Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; the Director General of PCC and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

 

Our correspondent observed that the chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and other leaders and supporters of the party gathered at the Legacy House Maitama to begin their protest March to INEC National Headquarters.

 

The PDP protest is tagged, ‘black uniform’ protest match, according to a statement by one of the party chieftains, Ibrahim Bashir for the Director General (DG) of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).

 

Other PDP leaders invited to the protest match include the Chairman of PCC and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; the DG of PCC and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

“Governors of Bayelsa, Edo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba and Osun States; Former Senate Presidents, Senator David Mark and Senator Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, BOT members, NEC members, 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.”

The statement instructed party officials to wear black clothes at 10 am with the takeoff point as the Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja.

Recall that Ayu and Okowa had earlier indicated that they will lead other stalwarts and members of the party in a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Monday against the outcome of the presidential election.

 

INEC declared Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election and President-elect of the presidential poll held on February 25.

 

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who had 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who secured 6,101,533 votes.

 

But Atiku and the PDP rejected the declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect, saying the election was marred with infractions and would challenge it in court.

 

The opposition party, in what seems as one of the ways to challenge the result has notified its members that a protest will be staged tomorrow morning in front of INEC’s building.

 

In a notice by the Director of Administration of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Bashir, the party informed its members that the protest would take off from the Legacy House in the Maitama area by 10 am.

 

“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 Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, BOT members, NEC members, 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 march to INEC Office,” the notice read.

 

“Endeavour to be very punctual please,” it added.