Images and Footage: Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, Aregbesola, and Several Others March to INEC Headquarters in Demonstration

David Mark, the former Senate President, Rauf Aregbesola, the ex-governor of Osun and former Minister of Interior, Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra and Labour Party presidential candidate, and Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano, were among the prominent figures who led a protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja.

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The protest, which took place on Wednesday, drew a large crowd that braved steady rain to demand electoral accountability, as tensions escalate ahead of the 2027 elections.

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The demonstrators initially gathered at David Mark's residence, where a morning service was held to celebrate his 78th birthday, before embarking on a coordinated march to the INEC headquarters.

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What started as a protest linked to a faction of the African Democratic Congress quickly evolved into a broader coalition rally, with participants from various political parties and groups joining in to defend democracy and question the credibility of the electoral system.

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Muyideen Bashiru, a protester, noted that the turnout demonstrated concerns that transcended party lines, with participants traveling from different parts of the country to join the protest.

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Bashiru described the scene, saying, "We're currently heading towards the INEC office, and as you can see, the crowd is massive, with hundreds, possibly thousands of people gathered."

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The protest was attended by notable figures, including David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Dino Melaye, a former Senator representing Kogi West, alongside other political personalities.

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Bashiru observed, "As you can see, it's massive, this is not just about the ADC, there are members of other political parties here as well."

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The crowd surged from the Apo Legislative Quarters towards the INEC office, growing in size and taking over major roads in the Federal Capital Territory.

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Bashiru recalled that the protest was initially planned for the previous week but was cancelled due to heavy security deployment, including roadblocks and patrol vehicles.

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However, the protest on Wednesday appeared to be largely unannounced, suggesting a shift in approach that may have caught the authorities off guard, with Bashiru noting, "But today feels different, it seems spontaneous, almost as if security agencies were caught off guard."

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Despite the rain, the crowd continued to grow at the INEC office, with an atmosphere that was intense but orderly, as Bashiru described, "You can see the crowd behind me; it's still growing, and the energy is intense."