By Paschal Emeka, Abuja | March 13, 2023
As the battle for who becomes Nigeria’s next President shifts to the courts following the controversial outcome of the February 25 presidential election, the Head of Intervention Team Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organization, Dr Ifedi Okwenna has assured Nigerians that the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi will recover his mandate.
Recall that the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the winner of the presidential election.
However, the opposition parties have rejected the outcome of the election and approached the court to seek redress over what they described as irregularities in the transmission of the results from polling units to the INEC server.
Amidst the controversy, Dr Okwenna in an interview in Abuja insisted that his principal won the election and assured him that Peter Obi will do everything legally possible to reclaim his mandate.
“I am happy Nigerians know what Peter Obi stands for. We campaigned throughout the 36 states and FCT, convinced Nigerians of what Peter Obi stands for and we told them what we have in store for them.
“We are happy every Nigerian knew what happened. The intervention team went to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria including Borno where people fear to go. We were convinced that no one can conspire against Peter Obi.
However, during the presidential and National Assembly elections, Nigerians came out en masse and voted for who they wanted to be their president. Peter Obi won the election, there is no doubt about that.
“Everywhere throughout the country Nigerians came out and voted for Peter Obi but INEC truncated the wish of Nigerians. They suppressed the wishes of Nigerians.
“Unfortunately INEC denied Nigeria the opportunity to have the President they want. We have gone to court, we are going to recover our stolen mandate. We can’t suffer for anything. Our labour cannot be in vain, we will recover our mandate.
“While we are busy campaigning they were busy doing what they know best. We are grateful to Nigerians I want them to remain calm we are going to recover our mandate. We won the election. People voted for Labour Party and INEC denied Nigerians the opportunity to have the president they want.
“Let me assure you that we will recover our mandate. While we are campaigning they were busy planning to rig the election. We are grateful to Nigerians for coming out to vote, we are equally grateful to the international community for saying the truth the way it is. It is very clear and the whole world knows who won the election Nigeria should not be discouraged or give up, Peter Obi will recover his mandate.
“On the lesson learnt, he said INEC has no option but to upload all the information as directed by the Electoral Act of 2022.
“My message to INEC is that they should never do what they did. After using the taxpayers’ money to provide all the equipment for us to have a free and fair election they should not come and give us excuses that the BVAS machine could not upload information from the polling units.
“To all Nigerians I advise you not to give up, pick up your PVC and continue to vote for Labour Party because this is the party that will bring a new Nigeria: a party that will change the country from consumption to production economy. The hope of Nigerians lies in Peter Obi. With Peter, Obi Nigeria can compete with other countries of the world where investors can come and invest without fear.
“INEC should brace up. They should know that the next elections (governorship and state houses of assembly elections) are not going to be business as usual.
“For Nigerians, they should not be tired, they should come out en masse and vote for Labour Party. If Nigerians give up, it means that they have danced to their galleries. Nigeria should know that uprooting this corrupt system, is going to be a collective responsibility.
To the Judiciary, he said that Nigerians are worried that the INEC chairman is telling them to go to court.
“If he is telling us to go to court because he deliberately did things wrong, it means his sister or brother is the judge.
“But my principal from his past experience has confidence in the Judiciary. I assure Nigerians that Peter Obi will reclaim his mandate.
“I am telling the judges that we are all buying from the same market if the economy is good it is for all of us. They should do the needful to restore Nigeria on the part of progress.