Presidential poll: Atiku leads PDP protest, submits petition to INEC

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday led Governors elected on the platform of the party and other leaders on a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to submit a petition on the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.

Other top party chieftains who were part of the protest include Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and Governor Aminu Tambwal, director general of PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Ahmadu Fintiri of Sokoto and Adamawa state and other members of the National Working Committee.

Others include Adolphus Wabara, chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Uche Secondus, former PDP national chairman among others

The protesters marched from Legacy House, PDP presidential campaign office, through British High Commission, Abuja the National University Commission (NUC) to the Maitama office of the electoral umpire.

There was a heavy presence of security personnel, but the protest was largely peaceful. They are expected to present the petition to INEC against the conduct of the election.

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The leaders of the Party camped outside the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where they insisted that they must hand over their protest letter to the electoral umpire over the just concluded 2023 presidential election.

Following INEC’s initial delays, Atiku Abubakar vowed to remain there until the electoral umpire sends representatives to pick a petition from them.

Dino Melaye, who coordinated the protest in March informed the PDP supporters that they will not quit the INEC premises until someone comes to pick up the petition from them.

The party accused the electoral body of manipulating the exercise I’m favour of the APC.

Dino Melaye said “ Enough is enough, it’s time for a change, we say no to injustice and fraud, INEC is corrupt, we know the winner, INEC release the real result, our vote must count, democracy should not be murdered, Mahmood Yakubu resign now

“We will remain here until INEC sends a representative to receive our petition”

The protest trail had arrived at the Maitama, Abuja location of the INEC headquarters at about 12noon but has been left standing under the intense sun by the commission which has sent nobody to receive them.