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.
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