Police barricade on their
way and the sun blazing
above, All Progressives
Congress (APC) leaders
marched on the
headquarters of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission in
Abuja on Thursday.
Leading the way were
former Head of State
Muhammadu Buhari, APC
Chairman Chief Bisi
Akande, former Lagos
State Governor Asiwaju
Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
defunct All Nigeria
Peoples Party (ANPP)
former chairman Chief
Ogbonnaya Onu and
many others.
But what exactly is their
mission and their
demands?
They demanded the
cancellation of the
November 16 Anambra
State governorship
election, resignation of
Prof Attahiru Jega, INEC
Chairman, and dissolution
of the management of the
electoral body. In a scene
reminiscent of the pro-
democracy struggle
between 1993 and 1998
during the military era, the
leaders trekked for about
five kilometrer from the
APC National Secretariat
in Blantyre Street, Wuse II,
Abuja to Zambezi
Crescent in Maitama
District where INEC is
located.
The initial stage of the
trek was piloted by Ogun
State Governor Ibikunle
Amosun and Ekiti State
Governor, Kayode Fayemi
and many members of the
National Assembly.
The “great trek” was later
co-ordinated by a former
National Secretary of the
defunct Congress for
Progressives Change,
Buba Galadima, an
engineer.
But when the procession
took off, Gen. Buhari and
other top leaders of APC
withstood the rigours of
standing in an open lorry
for the protest march.
Waving brooms – the
APC’s symbol – they
brought traffic to a
standstill for about two
hours on the ever-busy
Ademola Adetokunbo
Street in Wuse II.
Revolutionary songs
blared from mounted
speakers.
Many workers in the
business district
abandoned offices to
identify with the
protesters.
They held leaflets and
placards with the
following inscriptions:
“Anambrarians, Nigerians
are with you”; “Anambra
Election: Jega, not the
INEC Messiah, Resign
Now”;
“2015, No hope with
Jega”; “No Supplementary
Election in Anambra”;
“Cancel Anambra Election
Now”;
and “Election Fraud Must
Stop Now”.
The procession, which
started at about 10.30pm,
berthed at the INEC
headquarters at about
12.03pm.
The situation turned into a
battle front with the
protesters at one end and
combat ready soldiers
and policemen at another
end. Journalists were left
in between.
At the end of the day,
their message was
passed.
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