The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has rejected the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission after last Saturday’s presidential election.
The body said the results released were marred with “monumental irregularities” and failure of the commission to follow its guidelines in conducting the election.
Damian Okeke-Ogene, the national vice president of the organisation, stated these in Awka, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm, adding that the last may not have been heard of the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “With voting and declaration of results over, other processes will follow. I am sure that many Nigerians will, on their own, go to court to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
“Many people have not accepted the declaration and many do not believe that they have a President-elect yet.
“This is the worst election conducted by INEC. Imagine our President, Muhammadu Buhari, saying during one of the campaigns that Bola Tinubu is the next president at a time the election had not been conducted, which was an indication that the election was even rigged before it was conducted.
“The INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood was busy promising Nigerians that their votes would count and that the votes would be transmitted from the polling units to the INEC server, only for the commission to do everything manually with the attendant corrupt practices.
“As it turned out, many Nigerians voted, but their votes did not count, which was frustrating.
“If the LP goes to court, all the ugly things done during the February 2023 presidential election will be exposed for the world to see.”
Okeke-Ogene said further that the Labour Party changed the political configuration of the country, adding that things will never be the same again.
“Nigerians are now more determined to take back their country and Ohanaeze believes that they will succeed.
“With what happened in states like Lagos, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and other places, it is obvious that Nigerians are no longer talking along tribal inclinations,” he added.
He told the international community that in addition to sending observers to Nigeria during elections, they should also sanction those who undermine democracy in the country.
Bola Tinubu Declared Winner Of Nigeria’s Presidential Election As Opposition Party Vows Challenge
A Nigerian opposition party has said it will launch a legal challenge after Bola Ahmed Tinubu was on Wednesday declared the winner of Nigeria’s controversial presidential elections.
Tinubu, 70, represents the ruling All Progressives Congress party, which received close to 8.8 million votes – about 36.6% of the total, according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
He defeated vice president Atiku Abubakar of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and a third leading candidate Peter Obi, who gained popularity among young people with his lesser-known Labour Party.
“We won this election as Labour Party, we are going to claim our mandate as Labour Party,” said Datti-Baba Ahmad, the party’s Vice Presidential candidate.
Obi is yet to comment on the official results.
However, Ndi Kato, Labour Party’s presidential campaign spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday: “We are defiant. The elections were rigged.”
In his acceptance speech, Tinubu struck a conciliatory tone, asking his opponents “to team up together.”
“It (Nigeria) is the only nation we have. It is one country, and we must build together. Let’s work together to put broken pieces together,” he said.
Tinubu also thanked voters and said he was “profoundly humbled.”
“This is a shining moment in the life of any man and an affirmation of our democratic existence,” he said. “I represent a promise and with your support, I know that promise will be fulfilled.”
Videos from the capital Abuja showed Tinubu’s supporters cheering and celebrating the win.
