Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has claimed that Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, won the Nigerian Presidential election held on February 25. The group made this claim in a communique issued after its monthly General Meeting held in Ogun State.
Afenifere reasserted its position that the election was characterized by primitive manipulations and noncompliance with the Nigerian constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the guidelines and regulations. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the President-elect, with a total of 8,794,726 votes. His closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, scored 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour party polled 6,101,533 votes.
Afenifere said that the lawful votes confirmed Peter Obi as the winner of the election, and it supports his decision to challenge the contrary declaration by the INEC. The group also called for the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be a person from the southern part of the country, specifically the South-East, for equity, fairness, national cohesion, and peaceful corporate existence.
The group condemned the campaigns of calumny and acts of ethnic violence deployed by some politicians and their hired criminal gangs in several parts of the federation during the gubernatorial election. Afenifere expressed its belief in the judiciary as an integral part of the democratic process and expects it to prove itself in the election litigations pending before it without fear or favour and in accordance with the judicial oaths of its members, in covenant with the Nigerian people.
Afenifere called on President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the patriotic confidence and hope of Nigerians in the continued corporate existence of the federation, which will guarantee their safety throughout Nigeria. The group appreciated the renewed interests of the international community in the security and democratic health of Nigeria and urged that as a prominent member of the global community, the affairs of Nigeria should continue to be of concern to the world.