I’ll Not Drop My Election Petition, Leave Nigeria – Peter Obi Declares

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has declared that he is determined to pursue his election petition before the Presidential Election Tribunal to its logical conclusion in spite of the pressure on him by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Federal Government to leave Nigeria.

Specifically, Obi said that the present attempts by the APC as a Party, and the APC-led government through some government officials and agencies to divert the attention of Nigerians from his blatantly stolen mandate is unfortunate and sad.

He noted that these have come and continued to manifest in different ways, such as the malicious accusation of the Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, the circulation of a fake doctored audio call, and a pressure on him to leave the country.

Obi on his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday, pointedly described as fake a viral audio recording allegedly containing the rounds of a discussion he had with Bishop Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church.

The Labour Party presidential candidate also vowed to remain in the country, saying that he is going nowhere.

In his words; “Let me reiterate that the audio call being circulated is fake, and at no time throughout the campaign and now did I ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war.

“The attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked. Our legal team have been instructed to take appropriate legal actions against Peoples Gazette and others.

“It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me quite contrary to what I am and my core values, is coming from such high quarters. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking insurrection is malicious and fictitious.

“I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I’ve never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state. Those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me. I’m on record as always advocating peace and issue-based campaign and not campaigning based on ethnicity or religion.

“I’m committed to due process and am presently seeking redress in Court. I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in a such bad light. Our future generations deserve a new Nigeria where they can live a secure and decent life like their counterparts in other climes. It is possible.”

“While we call on all concerned Nigerians and the International Community to implore the APC and the APC-led government to stop their nasty attacks, my focus and commitment to lawfully and peacefully retrieve our mandate to secure and unite our Nation, take Nigeria from consumption to production, pull millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty especially in the North, and jumpstart prosperity through agricultural, industrial, and technological revolution remain unchanged.

“Elections are over, and we are in court to retrieve our stolen mandate. Let me reiterate that we are doing so through all lawful and peaceful options in line with our legal system and constitution, and I continue to implore all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding.

“Those fixated with heating up the polity, creating divisions, tensions and hatred within and outside Nigeria should remember that Nigeria is our only country. Our focus should be on how to address the litany of challenges facing us, such as: flawed electoral processes, the parlous state of our economy, unsustainable debt burden, lamentable unemployment and inflation, insecurity, and multi-dimensional poverty. A New Nigeria is indeed POssible, and God will help us. ”

Similarly, the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), declared that copies of the alleged fake audio recording of the purported discussion between Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel have been translated to Nigerian languages and circulated to Islamic clerics to form the basis of their Friday sermons. The Labour Party PCC said that the motive of the APC in translating the content of the audio recording is aimed at turning the tide of public opinion against Obi.

It said that as part the grand design, the APC are circulating a fake doctored audio call, stressing that at no time throughout the campaign and after did Mr Peter Obi ever say, think or even imply that the 2023 election is or was a religious war.

According to the LP PCC; “It is very sad and wicked the attempts to manipulate Nigerians. Our legal team have been instructed to take appropriate legal actions against media outlets that make themselves willing tools in the hands of APC’s malicious propagandists.

“Despite the public denunciation of the fake audio call, its contents have been translated into other Nigerian languages and circulated in most parts of Northern Nigeria with some of our Moslem clerics deceived and instigated to use the contents for their sermons at various Mosques during the usual Friday prayers.

“This is a dangerous development at a time when the APC-led government and the APC party which have been awarded undeserved and unfair victory should be more concerned in addressing the ethnic and religious frictions unfortunately created by the outcome of the elections,” it stressed.

“Before, during, and after the campaign, it is on record that I have maintained my commitment and focus on issue-based campaign about a New Nigeria that is POssible, a shift of emphasis from consumption to production, a New Nigeria characterized by inclusion, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.

“I repeatedly stated that no one should vote for me based on Tribe or Religion, but rather on the assessment of Character, Competence, Capacity, Credibility, and Compassion that can be trusted to create a New Nigeria!

“It is for this reasons that we appeal to revered religious leaders especially in the North not to be part of the grand design of the state apparatus to further increase the religious and ethnic divides in the country. “Irrespective of the outcome of the court process, we have the obligation to strive for the peace and co-existence of all Nigerians. We call on President Buhari to rein in his desperate officials at all levels as their actions or inactions could lead to unnecessary crisis in the country.