Obi paid glowing tributes to Nigerians who trooped out on February 25, 2023, en-masse to participate in what was promised and expected to be a free, fair and transparent presidential and National Assembly elections.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s presidential poll and vowed to challenge it in court.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on Wednesday returned Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner and president-elect.
While Obi said he won the election and would explore all legal and peaceful means to prove it in court, Atiku concurred, saying “the processes and outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections of last Saturday were grossly flawed in every material particular and as such, must be challenged.”
The duo spoke in their first press conferences after the elections.
In a quick response, Tinubu, who had earlier in his victory speech extended a hand of fellowship to his challengers at the poll, said he would meet them in court to defend his mandate.
They spoke as the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, attacked Obi for faulting the outcome of the election that returned Tinubu as the winner; and the Chief Spokesperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Festus Keyamo, asked the LP candidate to desist from engaging in “crass grandstanding.”
Also, the APC PCC advised Atiku to stop being delusional over his presidential ambition.
We won this election, we’ll prove it in court – Peter Obi
Obi, who spoke at a briefing in Abuja, enjoined his supporters, especially party members, not to despair because he and his running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, had taken up the challenge posed by President Muhammadu Buhari and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to mount a legal challenge if they were convinced the electoral process was faulty.
He said: “We are not yet in court, they asked me to go to court, and I’m going to court. Let me reiterate and assure my good people of Nigeria that we will follow all available legal and peaceful procedures to reclaim our mandate.”
He noted that his respect for his two other opponents had not waned and that as such if any of them called him he would answer.
Obi, however, insisted that on the issue of last Saturday’s presidential elections, he remained committed and determined not to let down Nigerians who invested their time and votes in his candidature.
Describing his opponents, Atiku Abubakar and Ahmed Tinubu of the PDP and the APC respectively, as his fathers, he said: I respect them but on this issue (elections), I’m challenging the process. I have no problem making calls, if they call me I will go.”
Obi paid glowing tributes to Nigerians who trooped out on February 25, 2023, en-masse to participate in what was promised and expected to be a free, fair and transparent presidential and National Assembly elections.
While noting that the decision to challenge the process was hinged on the fact that it was flawed in many respects, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, said further: “Let me also appreciate and thank all Nigerians that participated in our last election, especially those who believed and tirelessly worked for a new Nigeria and voted for us.
“My profound thanks go to the youths, ‘Obidients’ and support groups for your commitment and resilience for a better Nigeria. You truly showed that you can take back your country!
“We continue to pray for the repose of the souls of all Nigerians killed during the campaigns and for those that were violently attacked, we pray for their quick recovery.
“We reiterate our total condemnation of such attacks and continue to demand that security agencies stop further attacks and bring perpetrators to book.
“The commitment and resilience of Nigerians, even in the face of unwarranted and barbaric attacks, is a testimony that a new Nigeria is, indeed, possible.
“The Lady, Jennifer Efidi, who was stabbed but insisted on exercising her right to vote and, indeed, all Nigerians who voted during the election are the shining stars leading us to a new Nigeria.
“The election has been conducted and results announced as programmed. It is a clear deviation from the electoral rules and guidelines as we were promised and did not meet the minimum criteria of a free, transparent, credible and fair election devoid of voter intimidation and suppression, and late commencement of voting in some specific states.
“This will probably go down as one of the most controversial elections ever conducted in Nigeria. The good and hardworking people of Nigeria have again been robbed by the institutions and leaders whom we trusted.
“However, let me humbly and most respectfully appeal to all Nigerians to remain peaceful, law-abiding and conduct themselves in a most responsible manner. Please, be assured that for Datti and I, and, indeed, for all of us, this is not the end, but the beginning of the journey to birth a New Nigeria.
“Datti Baba-Ahmed and I remain absolutely undaunted and deeply committed to this project of a new Nigeria that will be built on honesty, transparency, fairness, justice and equity. ‘’All of these start with the process, the process through which people are elected to office is as important (if not more important) than what they do thereafter with the office and authority.
“If we seek to be called Your Excellency, then the process through which we are elected should also be excellent or sufficiently credible to generate the required confidence and moral authority to govern and lead.
“As you all know, the destruction of a society can be a gradual or sudden process through acts such as deliberate refusal to obey the rule of law and via the suppression of the will of the people.
“I urge you all to continue with your campaigns and troops out on Saturday, March 11, 2023, to vote massively again for Labour Party (Mama, Papa and Pikin) in the governorship and State Assembly elections. Please do not despair at a time we can still achieve massive victories in the forthcoming elections on March 11, 2023.”
Atiku, PDP challenge Tinubu’s victory
Speaking in like manner at another press conference, Atiku rejected the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the poll and described the process leading up to the declaration of Tinubu as winner and President-elect by the INEC as flawed.
He explained that he was addressing Nigerians with a heart full of sadness because what transpired under the current INEC leadership fell short of the minimum standard of elections anywhere in the world.