There’s no evidence I won 2023 presidential election – Peter Obi
By Enitan Abdultawab
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi stated there is no concrete evidence to support his claim of winning the 2023 presidential election, while affirming his belief that he was the rightful victor.
In a recent interview with BBC Africa, Obi addressed his allegations of election rigging. When asked if he possessed evidence to substantiate his claim, he responded, “There’s no evidence. Everything is not based on evidence.” Nevertheless, he reiterated, “I won the election and that’s where I will end.”
The former governor of Anambra State was questioned about his assertions regarding the fraudulent nature of the election, despite the courts having dismissed his legal challenges to the results. “I don’t like going back to the past. I sustain what I said,” Obi remarked.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress won the presidential election, with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party finishing second and Obi securing third place. Both Obi and Abubakar challenged the results in the Presidential Election Petition Court, but their petitions were dismissed. The Supreme Court later reaffirmed Tinubu’s victory.
During the interview, Obi also discussed his stance on fuel subsidy, asserting that his views remain consistent despite criticisms suggesting otherwise. “I’ve not changed. What has changed is that whenever I talk about methodology, people say, oh, it has changed,” he said. He noted his ongoing concerns about corruption within the subsidy framework. “I talked about the corruption. The corruption is the problem of the subsidy,” he added.
Obi expressed his commitment to combatting corruption if elected, indicating he would take a personal role in the effort. “If you are not stealing, if you are not involved, your wife and family are not involved, you reduce it by 50 percent,” he claimed. When discussing corruption under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Obi emphasized the importance of personal accountability. “He wasn’t in charge. The difference is this. I would be in charge,” he stated.
Regarding the possibility of stepping aside for another opposition candidate ahead of the 2027 election, Obi dismissed the concept, urging the opposition to concentrate on mobilizing a greater voter base. “We don’t need to step down. We need to do the right thing,” he concluded.
