Festus Keyamo, the Chief Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council, has urged Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to cease portraying himself as a victim, especially since Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been declared the president-elect. Keyamo’s remarks came in response to Obi’s assertion that he was robbed of his mandate during a world press conference held in Abuja on Thursday. Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, defeating his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, who garnered 6,984,520 votes, and Obi, who received 6,101,533 votes. Despite the clear outcome, an emotional Obi expressed to reporters that the electoral process did not meet the standards for a free and credible election. He vowed to pursue legal and peaceful avenues to reclaim his mandate.
In contrast, Keyamo challenged Obi’s claims, arguing that Obi is attempting to highlight irregularities outside his strongholds as evidence of election rigging. Keyamo pointed out that there is substantial evidence of thuggery, violence, and the falsification of figures by Obi’s supporters circulating on social media. He stated, “Obi pretends to play the victim, whereas he is the greatest culprit in this game of brickbats. He is quick to cite isolated incidents of irregularities outside his strongholds, which could not have significantly impacted the overall results, while ignoring the overwhelming evidence of misconduct by his supporters in those areas.”
Keyamo further asserted that Obi’s chances of winning were undermined by his divisive approach to religious politics and his status as a splinter from the main opposition party, the PDP. He noted that Obi’s campaign primarily appealed to his own ethnic group rather than reaching out to a broader audience. Keyamo emphasized that Obi’s recent entry into the Labour Party and the manner in which he acquired the party’s ticket, without valid primaries, further polarized his support base. He stated, “Obi knows he could not have won, as he did not meet the constitutional requirement of securing 25 percent of the votes in two-thirds of the states. His divisive rhetoric made it impossible for him to come close.”
Keyamo also criticized the absurdity of Obi and the PDP both claiming victory despite finishing second and third in the election. He likened their actions to students who, having placed second and third in an exam, both assert they achieved first place and agree to protest to the examiner. “This is the first time in my entire life that I am seeing such a contradiction,” he remarked. He concluded by highlighting that the president-elect has extended an invitation to his defeated opponents, including Obi, to collaborate in nation-building as committed patriots rather than engaging in what he termed “crass grandstanding.”
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