Iyorchia Ayu Leads PDP Protest At INEC Against Presidential Poll Result

Former President of the Senate of Nigeria and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, announced a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday along with other leaders of the party, including Ifeanyi Okowa.

This came as All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu was named as the winner of the presidential election poll held on Feb. 25 against the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP) candidate Peter Gregory Obi.

Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes while Abubakar got 6,984,520 votes, according to INEC. Obi, on the other hand, secured 6,101,533 votes.

As the outcome was not accepted by LP and PDP, both parties, in separate press conferences, said they will be challenging INEC's decision in court. Aside from rejecting the election results, PDP disclosed their plans to march a protest at INEC. The protest will take place at 10:00 a.m. at the Legacy House located in Maitama.

Executive Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal shared a memo Sunday, inviting the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, alongside other governors such as Akwa Ibom and Udom Emmanuel to join the protest.

"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," the memo read, Punch reported.

"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," it continued.

Everyone attending the protest was requested to wear black outfits to display their anger against the polling results.

"It (the protest) is to register its grievances and disenchantment following the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections," PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told Punch.

Reacting to the protest announcement, APC's National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, called on PDP leaders to stick to the lawful part rather than expressing their anger about losing in an unlawful way.

"PDP lost the election to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. That is why he is the president-elect. The PDP has indicated an interest in going to court to challenge the election," Morka said. "One will hope that they stick to following a lawful part in expressing whatever they may feel as a grievance in the outcome of the election."

He added, "I am quite sure the PDP understands there are laws that govern public conduct in this country, hence the need to do nothing to instigate a crisis that is needless in the face of an election that was won by our candidate, now the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu."