‘I won the election and will prove it’ — Obi breaks silence

Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says he will prove to Nigerians that he won the presidential election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, declared Bola Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the presidential poll.

Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had the second-highest figure with 6,984,52 and Obi polled 6,101,533 votes.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Obi said he will explore all legal avenues to recover his mandate.

The LP standard bearer said the 2023 presidential election is arguably the “most controversial” in the country’s history.

Obi encouraged his supporters not to view the outcome of the election as the end, “but a beginning”.

“This election will go down as one of the most controversial elections ever conducted in Nigeria,” he said.

“The good people of Nigeria have again been robbed. However, I appeal to Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“This is not the end but a beginning… We will explore all legal and peaceful options to reclaim our mandate. We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians.”

He asked Obidients not to be discouraged, urging them to take part in the governorship elections fixed for March 11.

“We have elections coming on the 11th. We enjoin you to go out and vote,” he said.

Obi said he and Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate, are “committed” to the cause of a new Nigeria.

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

Speaking on the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the election, Obi said: “It is my belief that for you to answer “you excellency”, the process through which you arrive to office must be excellent.”

Julius Abure, the national chairperson of LP, and Akin Osuntokun, director-general of the presidential campaign, were also present at the briefing.