JUST IN: We Won And Will Explore All Legal Means To Reclaim Our Mandate – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25th general election, Peter Obi has said he won the poll.

Peter Obi Finally Speaks After Presidential Poll

Peter Obi who stated this at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, said he will explore all legal options to reclaim his mandate.

“We will explore all legal and peaceful options to reclaim our mandate. We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians. I am challenging the process.”

The briefing is his first media appearance after the declaration of the winner of the presidential election by the electoral umpire.

“This is very unfair. It is the least expected of Nigeria,” he said.

Just at the commencement of the briefing, Peter Obi observed a one-minute silence for all injured and deceased victims of the February 25 poll.

Those who attended the briefing with Peter Obi included the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure; as well as the director general of Obi’s presidential campaign, Akin Osuntokun.

He also said he and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed remain committed to a new Nigeria.

The LP presidential flag bearer thanked his youthful followers known as ‘Obidients’, urging them not to be deterred by the outcome of the polls.

“We will work for that new Nigeria that is possible,” he said. “Datti and I remain committed to that new Nigeria.”

Obi assured youths in the country that he is not going away but will stay and work for a new Nigeria.

The former Anambra state governor said the poll did not meet the minimum standard for a free and fair election, adding that the poll will go down as the most controversial election conducted in Nigeria.

Obi lamented that Nigeria cannot conduct elections 63 years after independence.

Kanyi Daily reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu announced Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the poll some minutes past 4 am on Wednesday at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.

“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Professor Yakubu declared in an announcement watched by an eager nation and many across the world.

According to INEC, Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor came out tops in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Atiku, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.

Since Saturday when the election was conducted, opposition parties had complained bitterly that INEC officials at the polling units were unable to upload election results electronically to the commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), as stipulated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.

The IReV and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) are new technologies introduced by the electoral body for the accreditation and electronic transmission of votes for this year’s polls.

The majority of Nigerians, mostly youths who trooped out in their millions argued that they voted for Obi believing that he is the only one who can turn the fortunes of the country around.

But, INEC declared Tinubu as the winner of the polls despite calls for its cancellation.

The announcement by INEC appears not to sit well with the majority of Nigerians

There were allegations and reports of widespread rigging of the election by INEC to ensure that the former Lagos governor wins the polls.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) has asked political parties and candidates aggrieved with the result of last Saturday’s presidential election to seek legal and constitutional channels to contest the results of the polls.

The Spokesman of the UN, Stéphane Dujarric, stated this while speaking with NAN in New York.