The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council has criticised Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, despite acknowledging that he has no evidence to substantiate it.
In a statement issued on Friday, Dele Alake, spokesperson
for the APC campaign council, described Obi’s remarks during a recent BBC
interview as a disregard for facts and truth.
During the interview, Obi was asked whether he still
maintained that he won the election after the courts dismissed his challenge to
the results.
“Well, quite frankly, I don’t like going back to the past. I
still say what I said,” Obi, who was the Labour Party (LP) candidate in 2023,
said.
When pressed on whether he had evidence to substantiate his
claim, the former governor of Anambra said, “There is no evidence. Everything
is not based on evidence. I won the election, and that is where I will end.”
‘OBI MUST SUBSTANTIATE HIS CLAIM’
Alake said Obi’s remarks were troubling, arguing that a
presidential candidate should substantiate claims about an election rather than
making assertions without evidence.
“For a candidate who placed a distant third in the
presidential poll to persistently insist he won — without evidence and contrary
to all official records — reflects a deep and troubling disconnection from
reality and absolute disregard for facts and truth,” he said.
“This constant habit of exaggerating facts is unbecoming of
a man who aspires to lead our great country.
“Where is Obi sourcing his facts? Could it be from his
infamous adviser at Upper Iweka Junction or from one Obedient punching the
laptop for the next post from California or Dallas?
“At the pain of restating the factually obvious, President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the 2023 election decisively.
“There can be no doubt about it. The Independent National
Electoral Commission confirmed his victory. The election tribunal and the
country’s highest court affirmed it.”
Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate, was declared winner with
8,794,726 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
came second with 6,984,520 votes. Obi came third in the 2023 presidential
election with 6,101,533 votes.
Less than a week after the election, Obi claimed he had won
and said he would prove his claim in court.
He challenged the results at the presidential election
petition tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities.
However, in September 2023, the tribunal dismissed his
petition, holding that he had failed to establish his allegations of electoral
malpractice and other grounds for overturning the results.
The supreme court subsequently upheld Tinubu’s victory in
October 2023, dismissing appeals filed by Obi and Atiku.
Alake said the judicial decisions affirmed Tinubu’s victory
and criticised Obi for continuing to dispute the outcome.
He further said the administration had created job
opportunities.
He also defended Tinubu’s administration, saying it had
pursued reforms aimed at stabilising the economy, expanding infrastructure,
supporting businesses and young people, and improving education and healthcare.
He added the administration had created job opportunities.
Alake described Obi’s remarks as unbecoming of someone
seeking to lead the country.
The campaign council’s spokesperson also challenged Obi to
honour an earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if it was
established that his administration had left liabilities in Anambra state.
Obi served as governor of Anambra state from 2006 to 2014
before contesting the 2023 presidential election.
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