The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has claimed that he won the just-concluded February 25 presidential election, declaring that he will reclaim the mandate.
Obi, who spoke on Thursday at a press conference he addressed in Abuja, noted that the 2023 presidential election will go down as the most controversial in the history of Nigeria.
The LP candidate, who was making his first public appearance since after the February 25 elections, insisted that the exercise failed to meet the minimum standard of a free and fair election, hence he will approach the Court to reclaim his mandate.
“We won the election. We will explore all legal action to reclaim our mandate,” Obi said, adding that since he has been asked to go to the court, he will obey and obedient and will prove how he won the election.
“Nigeria cannot conduct an election 63 years after independence and it will be like this,” Obi insisted, adding that the election coming up on March 11 should be accorded the same seriousness.
Obi also asked LP members and supporters in the country to troop out en mass and vote the party’s candidates in the forthcoming March 11 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections nationwide.
“I enjoin you to campaign and bring out people to vote. We still have so many massive contestants in our sub-nationals. I assure you that I will be part of it. We will build a country,” Obi, who earlier asked that a minute of silence be observed for those who lost their lives during the election, prayed thatnGod will continue to bless and protect the country.
“I have never directly or indirectly spoken or release any message since after voting last Saturday. Anything you see in the media, disregard it. This is my first time speaking.
“For me, it is very important to speak to Nigerians who on the 25 of February as committed citizens for a supposedly free and fair national election.
“But in all things, we give thanks to God first. Second, I give gratitude to Nigerians that participated in the election. Number three, gratitude to Nigerians especially the youth that believed and worked tirelessly for a new Nigeria. I thank them for the hard work. Gratitude to all ‘Obedients’ who believe a new Nigeria is possible and I am assuring you that a new Nigeria is possible.
“Myself and Datti are committed to a new Nigeria. I don’t know how they feel now, but the unwanted attack shows that a new Nigeria is possible. seeing Jenifer who was attacked but ensures she voted.
“It is a clear violation of the electoral rule and guidelines that we were assured of,” Obi said of what transpired on February 25, 2023.
“It will go down as the most controversial election ever conducted in Nigeria. Let me appeal to all Nigerians to remain peaceful and humble. I assure you that this is not the end, but the beginning of a journey for a better and a new Nigeria.
“We want a New Nigeria built on honesty, fairness and justice. We will do the right thing to gather confidence to lead. Leaders should not act rascally and deliberately discard the rule of law.
“We insisted that we will be governed by the rule of law. We will explore all legal action to reclaim our mandate. We won the election. We will build a country,” he stated.
Obi also cleared the air on possible alliance with any opposition party, saying that he was not in alliance with any political party.
“We are not in talk with other parties, we are meeting as aggrieved parties. If we use the process we used today in the election, how are we going to arrest the kidnappers? On this issue, I am challenging the process,” Obi added.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in the wer hours of Wednesday declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the presidential election, defeating his closest challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was closely trailed behind by the LP candidate.
