Members of the Peoples Democratic Party, market women, artisans, youths and transporters on Sunday staged a protest in support of the nullification of the chairmanship election of the Offa Local Government of Kwara State.

The candidate for the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Saheed Popoola, had been declared winner of the election by the state Independent Electoral Commission.

But the Election Petitions Tribunal in Ilorin presided over by Chief Magistrate Nurudeen Adeyanju a few weeks ago nullified the January 12, 2011 re-run in the local government.

The protesters said to be about 4,000 took off from the new PDP secretariat at the NEPA office along the popular Olofa Way in Ilorin and stopped at the palace of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Gbadamosi Mufutau.

They carried placards reading 'The election tribunal has spoken. 'Another election must hold in Offa LGA, The PDP is ready, 'The Offa PDP is resolutely prepared to take over the Council Secretariat of Offa LGA and 'Judiciary is the bedrock of democracy.

The Chairman of the PDP in Offa, Goke Rabiu, said the judgment was a true reflection of what happened at Offa during the election.

He said the judgment was a welcome development.

He said those who protested against the judgment acted like wounded lions.

Rabiu said, "The court gave a good verdict that a rerun last year is nullified. People are so happy with the judgment. The true feeling of residents of Offa is that the election was marred by electoral malpractices. We stand by the judgment.

"It is a welcome development. It shows that judiciary is the last hope of the common man. The truth has finally emerged."