The All Progressives Congress, APC, says it is ready to meet Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, in court over his claim of electoral fraud in the February 25 presidential election.
Bayo Onanuga, the director Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, said this in a statement on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Abuja.
The statement was the APC PCC’s reaction to comments made by Obi at a news conference in Abuja.
“We welcome the decision of Mr Obi to seek redress in court as an aggrieved party if he is convinced of the evidence of electoral frauds he will present before the tribunal as alleged.
“Going to court is part of the electoral process and it is the most decent, statesmanlike, and civilised course of action to take,” Onanuga said.
He said the APC PCC saluted the decision, adding that it was better than calling supporters to the streets and instigating social unrest.
He, however, challenged some specific claims in Obi’s press address, saying that contrary to his statement, it was not true that the election was not free and fair.
Onanuga said the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly election was one of the most transparent and peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria.
He added, “It is because the process was credible that made it possible for Obi’s Labour Party to record the over six million votes it got contrary to pre-election forecasts.”
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.
Kingmaker turned king
Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos state, represents the same party as outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, who Tinubu said he helped propel to the top seat in 2015.
After decades spent behind the scenes, Tinubu launched his campaign for the presidency with the motto: “It’s my turn.”
He will become Nigeria’s fifth elected president since 1999, winning the race for the country’s top job on his first attempt.
Buhari congratulated his soon-to-be successor in a statement Wednesday, calling him “the best person for the job.”
Vote counting since Saturday’s polls has been vehemently challenged by many who allege the process has been marred by corruption and technical failures. On Tuesday, the country’s main opposition parties described the results of the election as “heavily doctored and manipulated” in a joint news conference.
They said they had lost confidence in Yakubu, the electoral body chairman, and that the results “do not reflect the wishes of Nigerians.”
The INEC has rejected the calls for a fresh vote, with one spokesperson insisting the election process had been “free, fair and credible.”
In his speech, Tinubu also commended the INEC for “running a credible election no matter what anybody says.”
But several observers, including the European Union, have also criticized the election for lacking transparency.
“The election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations,” said a joint observer mission of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI).
Source: Daily Post
