By Oguntoye Sodiq
In a significant development following the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Lamidi, the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), has publicly called on former presidential candidate Peter Obi to seek forgiveness from President Tinubu, the Judiciary, and the Nigerian people.
This call for apology comes in response to Obi’s claims of winning the election, which the LP argues lack substantial evidence.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, Abayomi Arabambi, the National Secretary of the Labour Party, conveyed Alhaji Lamidi’s emphasis on the necessity for Peter Obi to apologize to the nation’s judiciary.
The LP alleges that Obi made unfounded accusations of bias in the judgment during the February 2023 presidential election.
Contrary to Obi’s assertions, Apapa asserted that the Labour Party maintained the highest level of financial transparency during the election.
The party challenges Obi’s failure to provide convincing evidence to the Tribunal regarding alleged irregularities in the polling units where he claimed to have been rigged out.
“He failed to substantiate his claims with specific polling units, lacking the use of spreadsheets, inspection reports, and forensic analysis as evidence in the trial,” remarked Lamidi, urging Obi to express remorse to President Tinubu, the Judiciary, and the Nigerian people.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, outlined several points in response to what he described as “verbal attacks” by Peter Obi:
Arabambi addressed statements made by Akin Osuntokun in an exclusive interview, where Osuntokun claimed Peter Obi was unable to pay all LP polling agents during the 2023 presidential election.
Osuntokun alleged financial constraints, leading to a narrowing down of payments to specific polling units.
The LP dismissed Osuntokun’s claims, labeling them as “purile lies” from “normadic political misfits and bystanders.”
The party emphasized that the statements were intended to benefit the general public, providing clarity on the alleged financial challenges faced during the election.
The press statement referred to the legal requirements outlined in the Electoral Act, emphasizing the necessity for election petitions to include specific details, witnesses, and supporting documents. Failure to comply with these requirements, as alleged by the LP, raises questions about the validity of Obi’s claims.
The LP presented data from INEC, indicating that the party, under the leadership of Julius Abure and Peter Obi, had conceded defeat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 54,306 pooling units across the country.
The LP accused Peter Obi and Julius Abure of jointly presiding over the interment of the LP presidential mandate, referencing the confession of a former Director General of LP PCC who claimed they were unable to pay all remaining polling unit agents.
The press release scrutinized Obi’s actions during the tribunal proceedings, asserting that he failed to convince the tribunal about specific polling units where he was allegedly rigged out.
The LP claimed that necessary evidence, including spreadsheets and inspection reports, was absent.
The LP emphasized the dismissal of certain reports and claims by the tribunal, including the rejection of a report from the EU tendered by Peter Obi.
Additionally, the LP highlighted the tribunal’s affirmation that the Nigeria Police had confirmed Bola Tinubu’s lack of criminal records in the US.
Arabambi criticized Peter Obi’s request for 25% FCT votes as a requirement for declaring a president, stating that the court deemed it a shame and clarified that residents of Abuja have no special privileges.
The LP also demanded the publication of audited statements of account, including funds received before and after the presidential election.
Arabambi urged Obi to seek forgiveness from the nation’s judiciary for his alleged wrong accusations of bias.
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