A throwback to November 29, 2013, shows top figures of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Nasir el-Rufai, leading a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The protest followed the outcome of the Anambra governorship election, won by Willie Obiano of APGA. The APC rejected the result, alleging electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of then INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega.
Protesters marched several kilometres from the party’s secretariat in Wuse II to INEC’s office in Maitama, waving brooms and displaying placards with messages such as “Cancel Anambra Governorship Election Now”, “Election Fraud Must Stop Now”, and “Anambra Election: Jega, not the INEC Messiah, Resign Now”.
Speaking during the protest, Buhari said: “We are here mainly to give the letter to INEC on our representation to do away with the election in Anambra that was conducted and demanding the cancellation of the election totally and fix another day for the election.”
Tinubu also criticised the electoral body, stating: “We are here to serve warning signal to INEC. As an institution, they do not represent the interest of Nigeria. We are calling for dissolution of INEC immediately.”
He added: “We are determined for liberty — to liberate Nigeria, to change election thievery, change the electoral fraud, to change the institution here. Jega cannot manage the people, he should resign immediately.”
Former APC national chairman, Bisi Akande, described the demonstration as a stand against electoral malpractice. “The rigging of election is the greatest fraud that any nation can have and we want to stop electoral rigging in Nigeria,” he said.
Other party leaders, including Ogbonnaya Onu and Dino Melaye, also called for credible elections, with Onu saying: “We want free and fair election in our country. Why is PDP afraid of free and fair elections?”
Melaye added: “Once we have a sanitised electoral system, we will celebrate the obituary of PDP forever.”
The protest ended after APC leaders submitted a formal petition to INEC, demanding the cancellation of the election and sweeping reforms within the commission.