Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has received a strong message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asking him to accept the results of the 2023 presidential election with dignity and humility.
Tinubu urged Mr Obi to accept the reality of the election results, which did not support his candidature, and to refrain from engaging in divisive and polarising rhetoric, which the President claimed came in a distant third, in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, in Abuja.
According to Onanuga, Obi’s campaign strategy, which appeared divisive and polarizing, has raised concerns among those who wonder how he expected to win in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria.
Onanuga was reacting to Obi’s earlier press conference where the latter made allegations of rigging and electoral malpractices but failed to produce any concrete evidence to substantiate his claims in both the lower court and the apex court. Onanuga said Obi’s lawyers did not present any alternative results differing from the ones officially published by INEC on the IReV portal and endorsed by all party agents from the 176,000 polling units.
“The notion that the courts should deliver judgments based on rumors, falsehoods, and public opinion has been met with strong rebuttals. Judicial pronouncements are expected to be rooted in evidence, legal precedents, and the rule of law,” the statement said.
Onanuga noted further that despite acknowledging that the Supreme Court’s ruling put an end to litigation and confirmed Tinubu as the duly elected leader of Nigeria, Obi failed to extend congratulations and instead raised extraneous matters that he believed should have led to his own victory.
He admonished Obi is to seek other meaningful endeavors to occupy his time, as he was rejected by the majority of Nigerians who found him unsuitable to lead the country due to concerns about his impact on peace, progress, and stability.
Onanuga said Obi’s record as the Governor of Anambra for eight years did not inspire confidence in his ability to lead Nigeria, lacking tangible achievements that would recommend him for the presidency.
