#NigeriaDecides: ‘We’ll reclaim our mandate; We won the election- Peter Obi breaks silence *Read full text
Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi has assured Nigerians that he, alongside the leadership of the party would stop at nothing in reclaiming their mandate which reportedly was stolen from them, insisting that he won the election.
He informed Nigerians that the declaration of a winner in the just-concluded presidential election is not the end of the road for him and his followers.
The 2023 presidential candidate who was massively voted for by the electorates, across the regions of the country, stated this today, during a press conference in Abuja, as he vowed that “we will explore all the legal and peaceful means to reclaim our mandate”.
This is even as the Labour Party candidate had remained calm ever since the announcement of the election results which produced All Progressives Congress, APC candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the President-elect.
Hear him:
“We will explore all the legal and peaceful means to reclaim our mandate. We won the election. Datti and I are committed to the mandate of Nigerians.”
The Labour Party candidate who swore to challenge the process of the Saturday, February 25 presidential election in the court.
When asked to present evidences on how the election was manipulated, Obi simply said he doesn’t want to answer questions on his way to the court.
Recall that the Labour Party had earlier faulted the process of collating the result of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying it will challenge the outcome in court.
LP alleged that most of its members were deliberately disenfranchised through varied means across the country, but were more discerning in its strongholds.
The party in a statement on Sunday issued by the National of Secretary, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim said, while the party made inroads with high votes in most parts of Northern Nigeria, LP members were deliberately prevented from voting, chased away violently from polling units, or had ballot papers and boxes destroyed and burnt in others.
He cited Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Kano, Yobe and Edo states among places where such acts were rampantly perpetrated in violation of the electoral act 2022 as amended.
Umar said in some places, INEC staff and electoral materials were not deployed to areas that are known to be strongholds of Labour Party, or deployed late to frustrate the party supporters who, psychologically got tired of waiting and had to leave the polling units for the fear of the unknown.
“The delay by INEC to upload and announce results, especially where Labour Party, is already known to have taken lead, is also worrisome and we feel it is deliberate to anger our party and our supporters” he said.
Umar also alleged that intelligence from the fields revealed that across the Northern states, electorates identified as Labour Party supporters were tactically denied access to their polling units by some officials who connived with others to confuse the electorates by insisting their polling units are different and sending them to the wrongs ones. He said this frustrated the electorates, and reduced the votes polled by Labour Party, which would have more than doubled if the right things were done.
LP candidate implored INEC to checkmate and call its polling staff to order and also ensure punitive measures in line with the electoral Act 2022 as amended.
The Labour Party National Secretary assured that the party would definitely challenge the outcome and final result in court.
He however called on the party members and supporters to be calm, remain law abiding, but be encouraged with their efforts so far, and mobilise even more for the next round of elections, as the party takes steps to right the wrong meted out to her in the Saturday presidential and National Assembly Elections.
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NEWSFull text of Peter Obi’s speech rejecting presidential election resultPublished on March 2, 2023By Wale Odunsi
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi has vowed to reclaim the mandate he said Nigerians handed him on February 25, 2023.
Obi contested against Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Tinubu the winner and President-elect in the wee hours of Wednesday.
As of noon, Thursday, March 2, results from more than 28,000 polling units are yet to be uploaded on the INEC website.
At a press conference in Abuja, the former Anambra State governor announced he and his party would head to court to challenge Tinubu’s victory.
Obi, however, appealed to his supporters across the country to remain peaceful and allow the law take its course.
Full text of his speech:
Dear Nigerians,
1. On 25th February 2023, Nigerians trooped out en masse to participate in what was promised and expected to be free, fair and transparent presidential and National Assembly elections. But in all things, we are enjoined to give thanks.
2. First to Almighty God for the privilege of making Datti Baba-Ahmed and I, the tools to champion the cause of a New Nigeria that will fundamentally enhance the fortunes of our dear country. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Let me reiterate and assure my good people of Nigeria that we will follow all available legal and peaceful procedures to reclaim our mandate.
11. I urge you all to continue with your campaigns and troop out on Saturday 11th March 2023 to vote massively again for Labour Party, LP, (Mama, Papa and Pikin) in the Governorship and State Assembly Elections. Please do not despair at a time when we can still achieve massive victories in the forthcoming elections on the 11th of March 2023.
