Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has said he still believes he won Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, despite admitting in a BBC interview that he has no evidence to prove the claim.
Obi made the remarks while speaking with BBC Africa’s Madina Maishanu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which he is expected to contest under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). His comments have triggered fresh debate over his unresolved claims about the 2023 election and the legal battles that followed the poll.
Key Highlights
- Peter Obi said he still believes he won the 2023 presidential election.
- The former Labour Party candidate admitted he has no evidence to prove the claim.
- INEC declared Bola Tinubu the winner with 8,794,726 votes.
- Obi polled 6,101,533 votes and finished third, according to official results.
- The Presidential Election Petitions Court and Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory.
- Obi’s latest comments have sparked criticism from political commentators and journalists.
- Supporters continue to argue that Obi was the actual winner despite the official result.
Peter Obi: ‘I Won the Election’
During the BBC interview, Obi was asked whether he could substantiate his long-standing claim that he won the 2023 presidential election.
In response, the former Labour Party candidate acknowledged that he did not have evidence to support the claim but maintained his position.
“There’s no evidence… I won the election and that’s where I will end.”
Obi further said he did not want to return to the events of 2023, insisting that his position had remained unchanged.
Asked about his previous allegation that the election was rigged, despite the courts rejecting his legal challenge, Obi said he continued to stand by what he had said.
What Happened in the 2023 Presidential Election?
The official results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes, while Peoples Democratic Party candidate Atiku Abubakar came second with 6,984,520 votes.
Obi finished third with 6,101,533 votes.
Obi and the Labour Party challenged the result at the Presidential Election Petitions Court, alleging irregularities and non-compliance with electoral laws.
However, a five-member panel of the court dismissed the petition on September 6, 2023, and upheld Tinubu’s victory.
The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed Obi’s appeal on October 26, 2023, affirming the lower court’s decision.
Fresh Criticism Over Obi’s Election Claim
Obi’s latest comments have renewed criticism from those who argue that claims of electoral victory must be supported by verifiable evidence.
Former presidential adviser on prosecution Okoi Obono-Obla described the remarks as contradictory and accused Obi of undermining the electoral and judicial process.
In a commentary titled “Obi’s Dangerous Assault on Logic, Democracy and Judiciary,” Obono-Obla argued that elections are determined by votes that are counted, collated and declared through the legally established process.
He also questioned how Obi could maintain that he won while simultaneously acknowledging that he had no evidence to prove it.
Rufai Oseni Questions Peter Obi’s Claim
Journalist Rufai Oseni also criticised Obi’s position, arguing that the former Labour Party candidate should not continue making a claim he cannot substantiate.
Oseni questioned where the alleged evidence, including detailed collation records and other forms of analysis, was.
He argued that believing one has won an election is different from having the evidence required to establish that victory.
The comments have since generated significant reactions across social media, with users divided along familiar political lines.
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Obi’s Supporters Defend His Position
Despite the criticism, supporters of the former Anambra governor continue to maintain that he won the 2023 election but was denied the presidency.
Some supporters have argued that the official result did not reflect the actual level of support Obi enjoyed among voters, while others have pointed to alleged irregularities during the election.
However, other commentators have noted that Obi’s legal challenge did not ultimately establish in court that he had secured the highest number of valid votes.
The Supreme Court’s decision remains the final judicial determination on the 2023 presidential election dispute.
Peter Obi Looks Ahead to 2027
Obi’s latest comments come as Nigeria’s political parties and presidential hopefuls begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former Labour Party candidate is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as he prepares for another presidential bid.
During the BBC interview, Obi also discussed his position on fuel subsidy and addressed criticism over whether his position on subsidy removal had changed.
However, his comments about the 2023 election have generated the strongest reaction, particularly because he maintained that he won while acknowledging that he had no evidence to prove the claim.
2023 Election Dispute Remains a Political Issue
More than three years after the 2023 presidential election, the result continues to influence Nigeria’s political conversation.
For Obi and his supporters, the election remains a defining point in his political journey, while his critics insist that the official results and subsequent court judgments settled the matter.
His latest BBC interview has now brought the controversy back into public focus as Nigeria moves closer to another presidential election in 2027.
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