The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has said his party won the elections conducted on February 25, and that he will explore all legal and peaceful means prove it.
Recall that Obi had approached the courts twice as impeached Governor of Anambra State and twice he won at the Supreme Court.
Obi opened up Thursday after days of silence at a press conference in Abuja which can be said to be his very first public appearance since the conclusion of the presidential poll.
Recall midnight Wednesday, February 27, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, February 25, conducted the presidential and National Assembly elections and, subsequently, announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, winner of the election.
INEC declared the former Lagos State Governor winner of the election after he polled 8,794,726 votes.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced Tinubu as the winner at the International Collation Centre in Abuja.
According to INEC, Tinubu came tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726.
This is almost two million votes more than his closest rival — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Atiku, 76, who has now run for presidency six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented, finished the race with 6,101,533.
A new Nigeria possible
Speaking at the press conference, Obi said: “Nigerians, especially the youths, believed in and worked tirelessly for a new Nigeria.
“Gratitude to the Obidients, those who believed a new Nigeria is possible and I say to them a new Nigeria is possible and we will work for that new Nigeria that is possible.
“The commitment and silence of Nigerians, even in the face of unwarranted panic attacks, is a testimony that a new Nigeria is indeed possible.
“Look at people like Lady Jennifer, who was stabbed and still went on to vote, then that gives me the courage to believe that a new Nigeria is indeed possible.
“They asked us to go the court. Remember, I’m an ‘Obedient’. So I will go to where they ask us to go.”
Peter Obi lamented that the number of voters in the 2023 election reduced sharply by 20% despite the increase in the number of registered voters and persons who collected their PVC in 2023.
“The reason for the reduction is due to manipulation and removal of votes here and there. We have chosen that we will challenge this rascality for the future of this country.
“Nigeria can’t conduct credible elections after 63 years of independence. It’s something we should all reflect on.
“We are not in an alliance. We’re discussing and in partnership with other people and any other Nigerian who feels hurt as we do,” the Labour Party presidential hopeful averred.
Meanwhile, in a smart response, the APC candidate and President-Elect, Mr. Tinubu, has set up what he called reconciliatory committee that will meet with aggrieved presidential candidates including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Musa Kwankwaso and others for peace process.
However, none of the mentioned candidates have responded to the APC move.
