The Director-General of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign Council in Akwa Ibom State, Capt. Augustine Okon, expressed confidence on Friday that the mandate given to the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the recent election would be recovered through legal means. Speaking at a joint press conference in Uyo alongside leaders of civil society organizations, Okon stated that the council had gathered sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Obi won the presidential election in the state. He emphasized that the campaign council would collaborate with the legal team to ensure the recovery of what he termed the “stolen mandate.”
Okon voiced his disappointment over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) failure to upload election results to the IReV portal, despite assurances from its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. He criticized the commission’s decision to resort to manual collation and announcement of results, arguing that this approach not only raised suspicions but also suggested a “grand gang up” to suppress the people’s will. He stated, “The PCC Akwa Ibom State has collated enough evidence to prove that His Excellency, Peter Obi, won the election in Akwa Ibom State and will liaise with the legal team to ensure that the stolen mandate is recovered.”
Recalling Obi’s address to the public on Thursday, Okon noted that the presidential candidate had indicated his readiness to initiate a legal battle to reclaim his mandate. During the briefing, coalition leaders Comrades Nathaniel Ifot and Bernard Titis expressed their dismay over what they characterized as the “daylight robbery of Nigerians of their votes.” They condemned INEC for failing to fulfill its promise of delivering transparent and fraud-free elections.
Mr. Ifot criticized the election results and urged well-meaning Nigerians to pressure INEC to rectify the anomalies by organizing another round of presidential elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner. He emphasized the need to address systemic injustices and impunities to maintain peace and harmony in the country, which is essential for real development. Comrade Titis, meanwhile, lamented that votes at his polling unit in Ini Local Government Area were allegedly manipulated against the Labour Party. He encouraged the public to remain steadfast in supporting all Labour Party candidates in the upcoming March 11 governorship and state House of Assembly elections while awaiting the final outcomes from the courts.
Comments are closed for this story.