By Ayomide Otitoju
Peter Obi has faced criticism over his claim that he won Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, despite acknowledging that he has no evidence to support the assertion.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Obi reportedly said: “I don’t like going back to the past. I won the last election. There’s no evidence, but I won the election. Everything is not based on evidence.”
The remarks prompted criticism in a statement that challenged the former Labour Party presidential candidate’s position and questioned his continued assertion that he won the poll.
The statement described Obi’s claim as inconsistent with official election records and argued that political allegations should be supported by verifiable evidence.
It maintained that Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the outcome subsequently upheld by the Presidential Election Petition Court and the Supreme Court.
The statement also defended Tinubu’s administration, crediting it with pursuing reforms in the economy, infrastructure, business support, education and healthcare, as well as initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities.
It further called on Obi to honour an earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if it was established that his administration in Anambra State had left behind liabilities, claiming that the state’s financial records had confirmed the issue.
The statement did not provide specific financial records to substantiate its claim about Anambra State’s liabilities.
