Obi won February 25 presidential election, says Afenifere

Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-political group, says Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), won the election conducted on February 25.

In a communique issued on Wednesday by Sola Ebiseni, Afenifere’s secretary, the group, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the results of the election to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Afenifere said the results it obtained through credible sources confirmed that the candidate of the LP won the polls.

“That Afenifere recalled the sustained struggles of the Nigerian people culminating in the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 and the enactment of the Electoral Act 2022 by the National Assembly,” the communique reads.

“That pursuant to the said power enabling it in that behalf the Commission issued the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022 and in Clause 38 thereof provides that “upon completion of all the Polling Unit voting and results, procedures, the Presiding Officer shall:-(i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit, direct to the collation system as prescribed by the commission. (ii) Use BVAS to upload a scan of ES8A to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as prescribed by the commission.

“That the results of the lawful votes at the election available to the Afenifere through credible sources confirm that His Excellency Peter Gregory Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party won the said election and we thus support his decision challenging the contrary Declaration by the INEC.

“That the General Meeting hereby denounced in strong terms and dissociated Afenifere from any congratulatory message in the name of the Organisation or howsoever to any candidate as illegally declared by the INEC.

“That Afenifere reiterates that for equity, fairness, national cohesion and peaceful corporate existence, the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be person of its Southern part and specifically the South East.”

The group also called on residents of Lagos to vote for Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party during the forthcoming governorship polls.

“We unequivocally endorse and urge the people of Lagos to vote for him. Afenifere calls on INEC to ensure free and credible Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in accordance with the constitution, the extant Electoral Act and its mandatory Guidelines earlier mentioned,” it said.

“That in accordance with the hallowed Yoruba culture of civilised conduct, Afenifere assures all persons resident in Yorubaland, indigenes and non-indigenes, of protection in the conduct of their lawful duties and particularly the free exercise of the rights to vote for candidates of their choice in all elections and thus warn all threats mongers and merchants of violence to desist therefrom.

“That Afenifere calls on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and all security agents to guarantee the safety of the people, and free, fair and peaceful elections throughout Nigeria.

“That the international community should show special concerns in the ongoing electioneering process in Nigeria in the interest of peace in the global community.”