LP insists on nationwide demonstration if INEC fails to oblige request

The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council(PCC), said on Sunday, March 12th,  that it will not be backing down from its planned nationwide action against the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). 

The Labour Party(LP) planned to have its supporters embark on a nationwide demonstration unless  INEC grants LP’s lawyers access to materials from the contentious February 25th presidential election.

Different controversies have trailed the outcome of the presidential election where presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Bola Tinubu, polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party flag bearer, who got 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

Both the losing parties were unhappy with the results of the election, and they approached the election tribunal to seek permission to inspect the electoral materials used during the poll.

Few days later, the Court of Appeal in Abuja acceded to their requests for inspection of the electoral materials but the commission failed to grant the warring parties access.

The development is coming four days after INEC secured a court injunction to reconfigure the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System(BVAS) machines ahead of March 18 governorship and state Assembly elections.

But the chief spokesman for the Obi campaign council, Yunusa Tanko, maintained there was no going back on mobilisation of their supporters to occupy INEC offices nationwide.

Tanko accused INEC of disobeying the order of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to grant Obi and the party access to the certified true copies of materials used in the conduct of the poll.

“We didn’t fix a date for the protest because we deliberately wanted to give INEC up till Monday to respond to us first.

“But when they (INEC) fail to do what they are supposed to do, our supporters will hit the streets, by the grace of God. There is no going back,” he said.

When contacted for reaction on whether INEC is willing to accede to the request of Obi’s legal team, the Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, declined comment.

In the same vein, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was unaware if the LP had written the police to that effect but would comment as soon he knew more about the situation. 

The police spokesperson is yet to give a reaction to the planned protest.