What can protests do for Atiku and Obi?
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have called on their supporters and Nigerians as a whole to protest against the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The commission had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election, one of the most competitive in the history of the country. The candidate beat his rivals, Atiku and Obi.
But the two men are not satisfied with the outcome of the exercise. They alleged that there were irregularities in the election and that the Independent National Electoral Commission didn’t comply with the electoral laws most especially on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS).
As a result of that, both Atiku and Obi of the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party respectively have asked Nigerians to resist INEC. They even asked their supporters to put on black clothes, a symbol of sadness and lamentation.
Of course, the protest did hold in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Atiku Abubakar was on ground to identify with the protesters, who thronged the INEC secretariat. What can that do for the PDP’s candidate? Absolutely nothing!
The independent commission has done the needful as enshrined in the constitution and the electoral act. Any aggrieved person (including Atiku and Obi) can simply approach the Court for redress. Anything outside that amounts to effort in futility, and of course stupidity.
When last did Atiku and Obi participate in protests? In fact, when Miss Deborah was stoned to death for blasphemy in Sokoto, the ex vice president quickly deleted the initial tweet he posted to condemn the killing of the college of education student.
Nigerians have passed through lots of hardships in the recent years. Prices of commodities including pump price have soared to record high. Kidnapping, banditry, shutting of schools have all happened. When last did the two men join protests?
Meanwhile, INEC can’t undo what it has done by declaring Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi can’t arm twist the commission to do anything else. In fact, the exercise is gone. The matter can only continue at the court.
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