The leadership of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced that its members will on Monday, March 6, embark on a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Headquarters in Abuja over the outcome of the just concluded February 25 presidential election.
This disclosure is contained in a notice signed by PDP’s Director of Administration, Ibrahim Bashir, on behalf of the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Tambuwal, where it stated that the march will begin from the party’s campaign headquarters at Legacy House in Maitama at 10 a.m.
The protest which is expected to be led by PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, listed the party’s vice presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and Ademola Adeleke of Osun State as those that will participate in the protest.
What PDP is saying in the notice
- The notice from PDP 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.
- “Endeavour to be very punctual please.”
Participants are to wear black
Participants are directed to wear black attires in demonstration of the somber mood of the party.
- A top member of the party and the Spokesperson of the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dino Melaye in a tweet post said, ‘’All lovers of Democracy are invited to a peaceful protest march tomorrow Monday at 10 am. We will converge at Legacy House before the MTN office in Maitama. Everyone is expected to wear black on black. In an unjust society, silence is a crime. Let’s save our Democracy. SDM.’’
For the record
- The planned protest by the PDP is part of the party’s efforts to register its grievances against the conduct of the presidential elections in which the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, was declared the winner.
- Recall that on March 1, 2023, INEC declared the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.
- The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, in his pronouncement said that the former Lagos state governor polled a total vote of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour party who polled 6,101,533 votes.
- The presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant fourth with a total vote of 1,496,687 votes.
- However, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, in separate press conferences rejected the results of the election and the collation process, saying that they won the election. They have both headed to the court to seek redress.
