By Luminous Jannamike
David Mark, former Senate President; Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun and ex-Minister of Interior; Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra and Labour Party presidential candidate; and Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, are among the political heavyweights that have led a protest to the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja.
The large crowd of protesters flooded the INEC headquarters, on Wednesday, defying steady rain to demand electoral accountability as tensions build ahead of the 2027 elections.
The protesters had earlier gathered at David Mark’s residence, where a morning service was held to mark his 78th birthday, before moving out in a coordinated march.
What began as a protest linked to a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) quickly grew into something bigger. People from different political parties and groups joined in, turning it into a broad coalition rally focused on defending democracy and questioning the credibility of the electoral system.
Muyideen Bashiru, a protester, said the turnout showed the concerns cut across party lines, with participants travelling in from different parts of the country.
“We’re currently heading towards the INEC office. You can see the crowd; there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people gathered,” Bashiru said.
Among those present were David Mark, former Senate President; Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior; Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement; and Dino Melaye, former Senator representing Kogi West, alongside other political figures.
“As you can see, it’s massive, this is not just about the ADC, there are members of other political parties here as well,” he said.
From Apo Legislative Quarters, the crowd surged towards the INEC office, swelling along the way and taking over major roads in the Federal Capital Territory.
“You’ll recall that this protest was initially planned for last week but was cancelled,” Bashiru said.
The earlier plan was shelved after heavy security deployment, including roadblocks and patrol vehicles. But Wednesday’s protest appeared largely unannounced, suggesting a shift in approach that may have caught authorities off guard.
“But today feels different, it seems spontaneous, almost as if security agencies were caught off guard,” he said.
Despite the rain, the crowd kept growing at the INEC office, with an atmosphere that was intense but orderly.
“You can see the crowd behind me; it’s still growing, and the energy is intense,” Bashiru said.
Below are more images from the protest:
