The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, Peter Obi, has said that he is challenging the process leading to the declaration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the election and not the declaration itself.
Obi said this during his appearance on Arise TV Monday morning.
In an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Obi reiterated that while he was not contesting the outcome of the 2023 presidential elections, he was challenging the process by which INEC got the results that were announced:
“I’m not challenging who they declared, I’m not challenging whatever the outcome, I’m challenging the process.”
When asked about his next steps, as it was reported that INEC had refused to provide the electoral collating materials to be analysed by Labour Party as ordered by the court, the former Anambra governor stated that he will go through both the legal process, by telling the court that INEC was in contempt by not obeying the order given to them, and by a peaceful march protest to INEC’s building to request the collation materials.
He however encouraged Nigerians to remain calm, saying “We will go through all legal peaceful means to bring about a new Nigeria.”
He also reiterated that there was collaboration between him and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP when he stated, “There is no partnership between Labour party and the PDP. Both of us are challenging a process that is wrong.”
He then said that the while he is going about his own commitments, it does not take away the respect that he has for Nigeria’s presidemt-elect Bola Tinubu, and Atiku.
Obi then endorsed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party governorship candidate for Lagos State in a statement that said, “The labour party candidate for Lagos remains the best candidate… I can tell you he’s a fantastic guy.”
In reply to the question of his age and lack of experience in Nigerian politics and public service, Obi said that politics is a collaboration between the young and the old, and that there were many who came into governance without having any experience, and that one could learn to serve the people while doing his job. He concluded by saying, “The job of a leader is always listening and learning.”
