Protesters storm National Assembly, insist on annulment of presidential election

Some protesters on Wednesday stormed the National Assembly in Abuja to register their displeasure over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria.

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions such as “Save our Democracy,” “Politicians are killing our Democracy,” and “INEC killing the Nigerian Democracy,” among others, reiterated their earlier call for the annulment of the 2023 presidential election.

The protest, which took off from the Unity Fountain in Maitama, paralyzed vehicular movement in the heart of the nation’s capital for hours.

The demonstrators, however, met stiff resistance as they were denied entrance into the National Assembly premises by security men.

The DPO of the National Assembly who came out to address the protesters said there was no written request for permission from the group or the relevant authorities, and as such, the protesters cannot be allowed into the National Assembly premises.

Leader and co-Convener of the Free Nigeria Group, Dr Moses Ogidi Paul, while addressing newsmen, described the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC, as a failed institution.

He called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of its chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu for supervising what he tagged a fraudulent presidential election.

Other members of the group equally expressed their pain over the conduct of the presidential poll.

This is coming less than 24 hours after the group staged a similar protest to the headquarters of INEC where they demanded immediate removal of the INEC chairman.