CANDIDATE of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 presidential election, Peter Obi, on Thursday, March 2 said he won the contest.
He also vowed to reclaim his ‘mandate’ through legal and peaceful means.
Obi came third in the election result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the former Anambra State governor said he would prove he won the election.
“We will explore all legal and peaceful options to reclaim our mandate. We won the election, and we will prove it to Nigerians,” Obi said.
Obi restated his commitment to a new Nigeria. He promised to work with his vice presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed to make a new Nigeria possible.
“A new Nigeria is possible, and we will work for that new Nigeria. Datti and I remain committed to that new Nigeria.”
Obi said the 2023 presidential poll will go down in history as the most controversial election conducted in Nigeria.
“This election, as you know, did not meet the minimum standards expected of a free, credible and fair election. It will go down as one of the most controversial elections ever conducted in Nigeria,” he said.
Obi addressed journalists in company with Julius Abure, the national chairman of the LP, and Akin Osuntokun, the director-general of the party’s presidential campaign council.
The press briefing is still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, March 1, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, winner of Saturday’s presidential election.
According to figures released by INEC, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who came second with 6,984,520 votes.
Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes, according to INEC’s official result.
The PDP and LP candidates have expressed their intention to challenge the result in court.
A reporter with the ICIR
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