Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 presidential election, Peter Obi thanked Nigerians for their support for the PDP during the election.
Speaking at a press conference in his Onitsha home on Monday, Peter Obi said he was touched by the eagerness with which Nigerians came out to fulfill their civic duties of voting.
He thanked, especially the youth and women, some of whom exercised their voting rights for the first time in the over 119,000 polling booths scattered all over Nigeria.
Obi also condoled the families of those that lost their lives and those that sustained various degrees of injuries during the election, and appealed to them not to allow their spirit become dampened towards the performance of their civic duties in the future.
Speaking on the general conduct of the election, Obi said it was anything but a transparent, free and fair election, which certainly fell far below the standard established by the 2015 Presidential Election.
According to Obi, it was characterized by deliberate voters’ suppression and intimidation throughout the South East and South South, actions he described as the highest form of corruption.
He lamented that the two zones under reference witnessed different sets of rule, saying, “While some zones voted strictly using the card readers, other zones, as part of the manipulation orchestrated by the ruling party, APC were allowed to vote without card readers contrary to the guidelines INEC issued before the election.”
On the way forward, he said he aligned fully with PDP as a party, the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and well-meaning Nigerians in condemning the exercise.
He said as law-abiding citizens that the PDP as a party, its Presidential candidate and himself, had decided to go to court because of their belief in the rule of law.
“Though elections give citizens a means to hold their leaders accountable by voting incumbents out of office or promising to hold to account those leaders successfully elected, the process is more important than the outcome as the rule of law must always prevail.
“Thus, the consequences of Nigeria without rule of law will be unimaginable chaos and tyranny,” he said.
Expressing his confidence in the judiciary, he said he appreciated the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians on the issue.
However, concerning those that advised against going to court, he said the dilemma of Nigeria was allowing impunity to go unchallenged.
“Besides putting a stop to impunity,” he said, “such a challenge will also go a long way in strengthening the electoral processes and in guarding against repetition of such dastardly acts in future.”
Obi, who recalled how he had been on the route before, called on Nigerians to have faith in the judiciary as the last hope of a common man.
The PDP Vice Presidential candidate cautioned against witch-hunting of opposition leaders and more especially voters in some parts of the country who voted according to their conscience.
He said, “To the young people, millions of whom I came across on our campaigns across the length and breadth of this country, and who showed great enthusiasm and promise for a greater Nigeria, I urge you to troop out on Saturday, March 9 to restate your message of a desire for a better Nigeria.
“Though a few as shown by ballot snatching, and violence are still held down by tribalism and ethnic bigotry, I urge the majority to continue in the march of the New world order, where all are equal, and Nigeria is united, secure and prosperous.”
