Anambra polls: Buhari, Tinubu lead APC protest to INEC headquarters

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday staged a protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to express its opposition to the supplementary governorship election scheduled to hold in Anambra State on Saturday.

The APC members, led by the former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd); former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Interim National Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande and the former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), Ogbonnaya Onu, marched to the INEC's gate.

Hundreds of soldiers and policemen were drafted to guard the commission with their armoured vehicle. The security officers quickly locked the gate, forcing the protesters to meet at a location in front of the commission with the police and army carefully watching. Addressing the crowd with banners and leaflets bearing different inscriptions like 'We reject supplementary election in Anambra', 'INEC not fit to conduct 2015 election', and '2015, no hope with Jega', Akande disclosed that they had come with a letter for the commission protesting against the rigging by the organisation in both the Delta Central Senatorial and the Anambra governorship elections. 'We are here with a letter for INEC. If the chairman is here, may he come forward and collect the letter from us. If there is anybody who can collect it on their behalf, let the person come forward and collect it. Our protest is against the rigging that INEC has been involved in with the PDP. We are protesting against the rigging of the Anambra governorship election, the Delta Central Senatorial election as well as bye-elections in other state houses of assembly. We want Nigerians to support us to stop rigging in Nigerian elections. It has destabilised our politics, economy and the general life of poor people,' Akande stated. However, neither the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega nor any of the commission's officials was available to collect the letter. Also addressing the crowd, Buhari and Tinubu urged Nigerians and the people of Anambra State to reject the supplementary election. He stressed that the party would mobilise the citizens to reject the culture of impunity and election rigging, which he accused INEC of perfecting in collaboration with the PDP. He warned that if the commission and the PDP continued in rigging elections, the APC would join to destabilise the country. 'This is a warning signal to INEC. They have betrayed the trust of Nigerians in them; they have all compromised in elections. Jega and INEC have committed criminal offences by rigging elections in Delta Central and the recent one in Anambra State. They have as their commissioners, mainly card-carrying members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) who help the party in rigging elections. We are currently running out of patience because Nigerians have suffered enough of the consequences of rigging elections. 'Both the army and police have decided to join the INEC and PDP and aid them in rigging elections against the desire of common Nigerians. If the police and army have decided to join the PDP, we will all join the army and 'dabaru' the country,' Tinubu warned.