By Akinwale Kasali
There is a wild protest in Yola, Adamawa State by chieftains and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its Governorship Candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri, who are demanding that the Independent National Electoral Commission continues with the collation of supplementary election results,and conclude the process without any further delay.
The protesting crowd marched from the Party’s office located at Police Roundabout overhead bridge to the INEC Headquarters, singing and chanting carrying different inscriptions on placards calling on INEC to continue collation of the Supplementary Poll.
It took the intervention of the Party’s Chieftains to restrain the aggrieved protesters from destroying the Billboards of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Deputy Director-General of the PDP Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, Felix Tangwami, who was one of the leading protesters, called for restraint from supporters.
He said the exercise would maintain a high level of decorum since the protest was not a one day affair but one which will continue until INEC yields to their demand to conclude the collation process and declare Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the winner.
Tangwami said, “Be peaceful and civil, we would lay siege to INEC office until the Commisison listens to us, resume collation and make a return. Because Adamawa people are not happy, because what has happened is treasonable, illegal and we take our call to the streets to demand Justice is done with our protest for as long as it takes. Please exercise restraints and decorum.”
INEC Headquarters had, on Sunday, suspended the Collation of results following the confusion caused by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the State, who unconstitutionally, usurped the job of the Returning Officer, and announced the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Aishatu Dahiru Binani, as the winner when collation was still ongoing, and Fintiri was clearly leading.
