Buhari, Amaechi, Others Lead Save Democracy Rally

The Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took to the streets of Abuja to protest against the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration, Wednesday.
Some of the party’s chieftains including the national Chairman, chief John Odigie-Oyegun, led a “Salvation Rally” in Abuja, accusing President Jonathan of using the Boko Haram insurgency as a joker to win election.
It also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in concert with the Presidential Villa to corrupt the system and disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.
APC queried why the Permanent Voters Cards collection and the continuous registration in 12 states were a fiasco and challenged the government and INEC to explain why the PVC collection was muddled up in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and all APC strongholds.
The APC said it was becoming obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan might be unable to organise a free and fair election next February stating that the President was also planning to use the extension of the emergency rule not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. It protested against the inadequate funding of the Federation Account to, in the party’s view, starve APC-controlled states of funds.
The APC chieftains defied old age and apparatchik of office to march around Abuja metropolis to draw the attention of the government and Nigerians to the insurgency in the Northeast.
In his address at the Salvation Rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja, Odigie-Oyegun, said the party had tabled four demands which the President must address immediately.
Odigie-Oyegun said: “We are here today as a practical demonstration of our lack of confidence in the ability or willingness of President Goodluck Jonathan to organise a free and fair election come February 2015. President Goodluck Jonathan is so desperate to win re-election that it will now appear that there is a secret understanding that our security forces should turn a blind eye to the Boko Haram Insurgency so that the insurgents can occupy as much territory as possible and make elections impossible in these areas, knowing full well these are APC strongholds.
“Otherwise, how does one explain that local hunters carrying dane guns and amulets are capable of dislodging the dreaded Boko Haram while our once proud army, which has distinguished itself in and out of the country, has failed? , he asked.
Odigie-Oyegun said the party suspected that Boko Haram insurgency was being used to promote Jonathan’s re-election bid.   He added: “Without doubt, the war against Boko Haram has become a tool for self-enrichment and a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians who are perceived not likely to vote for President Jonathan’s re-election.
Odigie-Oyegun said the salvation rally was the beginning of the occupation of Abuja by the party unless the situation in the country improves.
He said: “What you are seeing here today, which is the first stage of the occupation of Abuja, is just a warning shot. If we do not see any discernible change of attitude on the part of the government, then we will move to the next stage on the list of actions that our party intends to take to stop the rot being perpetuated by the PDP-led Federal Government. We are, therefore, using this opportunity to alert Nigerians and the international community to what is undoubtedly a set of carefully-set booby traps on the path to free and fair elections next year.
The APC National Chairman later led some leaders and members of the party in a protest march around Abuja to press home their concerns and demands.
Some of those at the Salvation Rally are: Former Head of State and presidential aspirant Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Governor Rotimi Amaechi; ex-governors Ogbonnaya Onu, Segun Oni(Deputy National Chairman for South), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai; Deputy National Chairman(North) Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; National Secretary Mai Mala Buni; the National Organising Secretary Osita Izunaso;  presidential aspirant Sam Nda-Isaiah, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Umaru Dembo, National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed and Suleiman Hunkuyi.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (2nd right) in a discussion with officers of the Nigeria Police when some members of the Save Democracy Rally visited the Louis Edet Force Headquarters, in Abuja, on Wednesday as part of the protest rally.