• Use tomorrow polls to prove we won presidential election, LP charges Obidients
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed the February 25 poll as the worst since the country’s independence in 1960 and a setback in the democratic process.
He stated this when he featured on a national television programme, yesterday, saying he was adamant in challenging the process of the election and the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the APC as winner.
He said the conduct of the presidential election has further dampened the morale of youths who had so much hope in the process given the provisions in the Electoral Act for the electronic transmission of results to deal with previous loopholes that militated against free and fair elections.
“We have seen probably what I consider the worst election in our recent history because of the Electoral law (Act) of 2022 which gave so much hope and the huge expenditure we put into technology. Do you know what it means to spend over $1 billion? So, there was so much that was promised and then we went back to what it used to be. For me, that is very devastating. I can assure anybody if today I’m in service, Nigeria would not spend nearly what it spent and we would have a first-class election that would be celebrated globally,” he said.
Obi, however, expressed confidence that the right thing would be done in the post-election dispute before the tribunal.
The LP candidate has filed a petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to challenged the result announced by INEC.
He said the Nigerian judiciary understands the gravity of the case, adding that “they know they have to build a better place for their children. I believe Nigeria has the best judiciary globally, it is we politicians that are trying to, because of our transactional methods, ensure that everywhere is corrupted. I have confidence in the judiciary. They know the country had collapsed. They know they have to build a better place for their children.”
When he was asked whether or not he would accept the outcome if it is not in his favour, Obi said he would be shocked if the court upholds Tinubu’s election.
“Issues about the election will be sorted out in court. I will be shocked if this country goes on with that situation. It will then stand that it is a corporate criminalised country. We can’t allow it. We need to start unbundling this criminality.When people were talking about structure, it is this fraud and criminality that we witnessed that they were talking about, and we want to unbundle it for the sake of our children.”
He also said he would not accept any offer to be part of the Tinubu’s proposed government of national unity and advised his supporters not to vote blindly in the governorship elections.
He tasked his supporters to vote only for candidates with proven character, competence, capacity and compassion.
“I support the Obidients, please do not vote blindly. We have a country and a problem and we have to deal with it. I have said it, please watch out for character competence, capacity and compassion. The country needs to see competent people in positions to serve. So, do not vote blindly. We have some states we have some competent people.
We have a competent, young, and dynamic man in Lagos that can do the job.
“We have one in Abia. I have visited those states where I think we have the people that are competent to rule. Out of the 28 states where the election for governorship is coming up on the 18th, we have about 6 or 8 where we have participants who can do the job.”
Meanwhile, Acting National Youth Leader of the party, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu has urged Obidients to use tomorrow’s elections to demonstrate that they truly voted Peter Obi to win the presidential election.
He asked the Obidients to vote for candidates in in states such as Lagos, Edo, plateau, Benue, Taraba, Rivers, Abia and Anambra in the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
He said contrary to claims, LP was not in an alliance with any party in any state. He spoke at a news conference, yesterday, at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
He branded those candidates who are reportedly stepping down for candidates in other parties as political marketers who obtained the party tickets on a platter, adding that the 2023 election would change such trend.
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