We will retrieve our mandate ― PDP PCC

Leon Usigbe – Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council (PDP PCC) has revealed plans to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in which the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, was declared the winner.

Spokesperson and Director, Public Affairs of the Campaign Committee, Sen. Dino Melaye, gave the indication on Wednesday, vowing that what he described as grave injustice in denying the party flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, the victory, will not stand.

The Campaign spokesman urged the supporters of the former president not to be worried as no effort will be spared to retrieve the mandate.

“A clarion call on all Atiku’s supporters all over the world not to be perturbed. Weeping may tarry till night but joy cometh in the morning. This grave injustice shall not stand. The battle to retrieve our stolen mandate is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. We shall overcome,” Melaye said in a terse statement made available to the Tribune Online.

Recall that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood, in the early hours of Wednesday, declared Tinubu as validly elected at the end of the presidential election having scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rival Atiku and Peter Obi (Labour Party), who scored 6,984,520 and 6,101,533, respectively.

As of the time of this report, the PDP presidential candidate was yet to congratulate the winner despite pressure on him from various stakeholders to do so.

The national secretariat of the main opposition party in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, was deserted on Wednesday with just security personnel and a few civilians seen around the premises.

The usual boisterous atmosphere in the Wadata Plaza secretariat was completely absent as the few people that came around wore gloom on their faces.

The Campaign Council, which had scheduled a press conference for 10.30 am later sent a message to journalists that it had been cancelled.

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