Bola Tinubu Furious, Challenges Peter Obi’s Address
The President-elect of the just concluded 2023 presidential election, Bola Tinubu challenged some specific claims in the press address of the Labour Party’s flag bearer Peter Obi.
Tinubu made the remarks through the spokespersons of the APC presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo (SAN) and Bayo Onanuga.
In a statement issued by the director, Media and Publicity, of the APC presidential campaign council, Onanuga, Tinubu said Obi’s claim that the polls were not free and fair is false.
He further termed the election as one of the most transparent and peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria. He made it clear that it was the credibility of the election that made it possible for Peter Obi to record over six million votes it got contrary to pre-election forecasts.
He also asserted that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi’s choice is unquestionably preferable to mobilizing their supporters and igniting societal unrest.
Onanuga stated: “Going to court is part of the electoral process and it is the most decent, statesmanlike and civilised course of action to take. We salute the decision. It is surely better than calling supporters to the streets and instigating social unrest.
“Before Mr. Obi goes to court, we consider it necessary to challenge some specific claims in his press address.
“Contrary to his statement, it is not true that the election held on 25 February was not free and fair.
“The 2023 election is one of the most transparent and peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria. It is because the process was credible that it was made possible for Mr. Obi’s Labour Party to record the over six million votes it got contrary to pre-election forecasts.
“That Labour Party and Mr. Obi surprised bookmakers by winning in Lagos State, Nasarawa, Plateau, Delta and Edo where there are sitting governors of either the All Progressives Congress or the Peoples Democratic Party validates the credibility of the election. Those governors have entrenched political machinery.”
Tinubu argued that for Obi to have staged a major upset by trouncing him in Lagos and other parts of the country attests to the credibility of the election process, adding that in the South East states, most of the sitting governors contested the senatorial election and lost to little known candidates of Labour Party.
Onanuga continued: “The Labour Party also swept the entire five South East states under the control of either APGA, PDP or APC.
“We believe that the Labour Party Presidential Candidate contradicted himself and exposed himself to public ridicule by suggesting that the election was only credible in states and places his party won.”
Onanuga added that Nigerians rejected Obi because he anchored his presidential campaign on the failed strategy of ethnicity and religion, the divisive and dangerous politics that has hobbled the progress of our country for decades.
