Presidential Election Tribunal: Protesting Women Invade Court Premises On Atiku’s Behalf

The women protesters on the premises of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal venue of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday. Photo: Ade Adesomoju

Some women in Abuja on Wednesday protested the alleged failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission to obey the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja permitting the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to inspect the materials used for the February 23 poll.

The women, numbering up to 40, held their protest on the premises of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal venue of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which held its inaugural sitting on Wednesday.

The protest continued until sitting ended at about 1.20pm.

A three-man bench of the Court of Appeal had, since March 7, granted the petitioners (Atiku and PDP) the go-ahead to inspect the electoral materials in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Atiku and his party subsequently filed their petition on March 1‎8.‎

The placard-bearing protesters claimed that INEC had yet to obey the March 7 order as of Wednesday (today).

The women protesters chanted, among others, “Bring back our democracy. People are dying. We can no longer go to our farms. Lawyers, bring back our democracy.”

Some of the banners they held bore inscriptions like, ‘The presidential election is a charade for APC; declare Atiku winner;” “#Bring Back Our Mandate 2019#” and “INEC obey court order and release election materials as ordered by the court to Atiku and PDP.”

There are a total of four petitions to be heard by the tribunal.-Punch