Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the recently held presidential election, has said the outcome of the polls which produced Bola Tinubu, his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, as president-elect, is not the will of God for Nigeria.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State who spoke in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, maintained that the election was flawed and could not have been God’s plan for the country.
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Obi said the presidential election was one of the worst ever conducted in the country, while thanking his supporters for their steadfast and commitment.
He noted;
I thank God, my supporters and Nigerians for keeping faith with us. The election was the worst ever conducted in Nigeria because it has clear rules which were clearly violated,
Just listen to what foreign people are saying and read reports and editorials of foreign newspapers, and international rating since the election and you will be ashamed. Nigeria can’t conduct a simple election with clear rules. India is the largest democracy with 900 million voters; almost 70% vote in India, but here, we have 25%. We will go through all the legal means to ensure the right thing is done.
Asked whether he agrees with those who have contented that the outcome of the election is God’s plan for the country, Peter Obi said;
Those saying the outcome of the election is God’s will don’t understand the issues. I respect our religious and traditional leaders, but I disagree with them.
They are using God’s name in vain. They are only preaching Nigeria’s problems. Why are they not accepting all the other bad things in the country, such as poverty, money rituals, kidnapping etc. This is what’s killing the country. People steal government money and share it to people and we say it God’s will. What is the difference between an armed robber and the man who steals government money? God’s will is doing the right thing.
Obi decried the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow his party to inspect election materials despite a subsisting court order.
He said;
INEC is a public institution sustained by public funds. This is not the first time I am going to court against INEC, I know them and I know what to expect. If they abused the rules for the election so badly, how do we expect them to obey court order? We know what to do. I am not asking them to change the candidate they declared; we are only challenging the process of declaration. If they say the person they declared as winner actually won, show us how he won, simple. We have to stop this rascality, when rules are made, we must follow through. We must have access because they have declared somebody winner.
Addressing allegations that the Labour Party also rigged the election, Peter Obi said said the party couldn’t have rigged as it has no capacity to do so.
He further stated;
I contested the election not to help anybody, but to change things. The person they declared did not win. Democracy is government of the people. To win, you must win the people, he didn’t. I don’t respond to people who are not presidential candidates. Reno (Omokri) raised issue of rigging because I got 92 percent in Anambra state. I have never asked anybody to add a vote for me or give anybody money to change results for me. Ask police, INEC, NYSC etc.
In fact, I’m even surprised that I didn’t get 100 percent there. Go out with me in Onitsha, where I live and see the reaction, I don’t need police. How many Igbo are in Lagos? Non Igbo voted for me more than Igbo. I don’t have the structure for rigging – no local government chairmen, commissioners, police, INEC etc.We want change the present system of rigging in election. I won over 60 percent in Rivers state.
