Presidential election: I’m challenging process not Tinubu’s declaration - Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says he is challenging the process leading to the declaration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the February 25, 2023~ presidential election.

Peter Obi also said that the problem of Nigeria is accepting what is wrong and unacceptable as God’s wish for the country

Obi, who said he is not interested in challenging the outcome of the just concluded presidential election, stressed that he is only challenging the process leading to the declaration of Tinubu, the presidential flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the poll.

The former governor of Anambra State said this while speaking on Arise TV’s programme, Morning Show, on Monday.

He said: “INEC is a public institution and it should be open. Because if you do something and people are not satisfied then you should be able to open up yourself.

“INEC has conducted an election and announced the winner but I am only asking that I have access to the materials that were used to arrive at the result. I am not asking you to change what you said.

“I’m not challenging their declaration. Or rather, I am not challenging who they declared. I am not challenging whatever the outcome is. I’m challenging the process by which they arrived at their declaration.

“And unless we do that, we are not going to stop the rascality we witnessed in that election.

“The process through which people come into the office is far more fundamental than what they do thereafter.

“There is a process of doing things, of arriving at every destination. A process is important,” Obi stated.

While reacting to the position of some Nigerians that the outcome of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election, should be seen and accepted as the wish of God.

The LP candidate said that God doesn’t wish bad things for people and it’s these things that the Obidient Movement is trying to change.

“The problem of Nigeria is accepting what is unacceptable. That’s not God’s wish. God’s wish is when you do the right thing. Is it God’s wish that we remain poor as a country despite his abundant blessings on us?”

He said that Nigeria has remained decadent in a continuous state of moral decline because they keep accepting what is wrong and dragging God into it, but noted that the Obidient Movement is in the system to change it and create a new egalitarian society.

The former Anambra state Governor said it’s a saddening fact that after 63 years as a nation, Nigeria is yet unable to conduct a good election, describing the February 25 Presidential election as the worst in Nigeria’s history considering that the Electoral Law of 2022 was enacted to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

Obi said that while he is pursuing his mandate through legal and peaceful means, it’s disheartening that rule of law is being treated with levity by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC which is a public institution maintained by taxpayer’s money.

On some insinuations on him from some characters speaking for their principals, Obi said since they were not on the ballot he would prefer to speak when those he contested with speak, but said that the 97 percent votes he got in Anambra state shouldn’t disturb anybody because he was expecting 100% votes because the people know him and believe in him. Noting further that he has been truthful to them. Ditto for the South East and other states where he received the lion’s share of the votes cast because they believe and trust in him.

“They forgot that I got over 95% in Anambra state in 2019 when I was a running mate, in 2023 I was the main candidate, I am even surprised that I did not get 100%”

On the claim of some persons that he took away PDP votes and helped Bola Tinubu to win, Obi said he was not contesting to help anybody but to win and by records, Nigerians made that happen despite the abracadabra by the INEC.

Obi also gave clarifications on his support for Labour Party governorship candidates in some states, saying that he supports LP ticket holders in Enugu, Abia, Lagos, and Plateau states among others 100%, and directs his supporters to vote for them.

On the ethnic tension in Lagos state over his victory on the February 25 poll ahead of the governorship election, Obi said it’s not ethnic but some mischievous persons are trying to create such an impression pointing out that many more non-Igbos and Yorubas who share the aspiration for new Nigeria voted for him.

He explained that even if Igbos voted for him, this is not the first time they are voting for people, they had voted massively like this for Olusegun Obadsnjo even when he lost an election in his region and they also gave Jonathan more votes than South-South states and all these brouhahas did not happen.

On the possible partnership with the PDP, Obi said that there is nothing like that but that “we are challenging a process that is wrong created by INEC to serve a particular purpose”.

Obi and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had registered their displeasure with the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential poll.

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku, who came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes to occupy the third position.

Presidential election: I’m challenging process not Tinubu’s declaration – Peter Obi

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