Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party has spoken for the first time after the announcement of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress as winner of Saturday’s presidential election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had announced Tinubu winner of the polls early Wednesday morning.
Reacting to the development via his Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon, Obi promised to address Nigerians and the international community soon.
“Our Vice presidential candidate Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed is addressing an international press conference at the Labour Party Headquarters in Abuja,” he said. ”I intend to address Nigerians and the international community shortly.”
Meanwhile, Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), at a press conference on Wednesday, said the “LP won the just concluded election but was rigged”.
He said Peter Obi, the candidate of the LP would address the nation in due course.
“It is our position that the purported result did not meet the minimum criteria of a transparent, free and fair election. In addition to the most condemnable attacks, voter intimidation and suppression, the election was conducted in clear violation of agreed and promised INEC rules and guidelines,” Datti said.
“The Electoral Act 2002 as amended and indeed the Nigerian constitution, as evident, the institutions of the state and leaders that were supposed to ensure the sanctity of the election again and as in the past collaborated and colluded to subvert the will of the good people of Nigeria.
“Be assured of our determination to fight the injustice that has been perpetrated on Nigerians through all legal and peaceful means. While painful, we implore you all to please remain peaceful and calm as our fight and determination for a new Nigeria is just beginning.
“We equally encourage you all to continue with the campaigns and vote massively for the Labour Party in the forthcoming governorship and the state house of assembly elections on 11th March 2023.
“Our principal, his excellency Mr Peter Obi will in due course speak to you and indeed the nation.
“He is better than one could ever imagine. He is cheerful, he is hearty, he is healthy, he is strong and what is more. He and I are even believing more and more in Nigeria and the Nigerian people.
“Here we are. Our movement is less than eight months old and we won elections in the federal republic of Nigeria where they’ve had an eight-year concurrent government. As far as we are concerned, we won this.
“They refused to upload results, they refused to refer to IREF just for them to defeat us. It took serving government illegality and constitutional breach to defeat Peter Obi and my humble self.
“I tell you we are winners, Nigerian people are winners and the Nigerian nation is waiting for a day that Peter Obi and myself will through the rigours of illegality and unconstitutionality get to power somehow one day.”
