By Musa Baba Adamu
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 Elections has for the first time since the Supreme Court delivered its judgement in his appeal against the judgement of Presidential Tribunal, officially reacted.
Obi while addressing a world press conference touched on many subjects pertaining to the elections and the litigation that followed.
Speaking on the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi accused the election umpire of shifting the goalpost in the middle of the game during the election.
Obi recalled that while INEC had on many occasions promised Nigerians electronic transmission of results, it ended up collated collating the results manually, especially those of the Presidential election.
Obi blamed INEC for his defeat saying the electoral umpire ‘shifted the goalpost in the middle of the game.”
He, however, vowed that “We are not giving up,” adding that “This is just the beginning of our quest for a new Nigeria. We are now effectively in the opposition.”
On the reason behind his refusal to work with a former vice president Atiku Abubakar in 2023 as they did in 2019, Obi said some internal crisis in the PDP forced him to pit tent with the LP.
Obi also said he refused to step down or work with Atiku because he came out to campaign for a new Nigeria, unlike other presidential candidates.
He said: “We don’t regret anything we did. We came out on a campaign for new Nigeria which no other person did.”
On his plans going forward, the LP, presidential candidate hinted that he would be in race come 2027.
He said although the Supreme Court judgment broke the confidence Nigerians have in the judiciary, the youth had spoken loud and clear in the election that Nigeria can be salvaged.
He said: “The energy of Nigerian youths has been amazing and I want to assure them that this is not the end of our journey but it is the beginning.
“We shall endure, persist until we reaches our destination because one Nigeria is our destination.
He also accused the Supreme Court of treating the certicate forgery allegation against President Bola Tinubu with levity, adding that Nigerians would become the victim of such levity.
“The Supreme Court abandoned its responsibility as a court of law. The court decision contravenes the overwhelming evidence of election rigging, the false calm of technical glitches, as well as matters of forgery and identity theft as been brought to light.
“These are hefty allegations that should not have been treated with levity. The Supreme Court transferred a heavy moral burden from the courtroom to our national conscience, our democracy is the victim of this courtroom drama.
“It’s a show of unreasonable force against the very Nigerian people from whom the power of the constitution is drawn.
“Datti and I may have ended our quest but this is just the beginning of our quest for hope for the common Nigerian. 2023 Presidential Elections: Obi reacts to Supreme Court verdicts, carpets INEC, hints on running again
