Why Obi resisted protest after INEC declared Tinubu president – LP

The Labour Party has revealed that its presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, resisted pressure from his Obidient movement to lead a mass protest across the country after President Bola Tinubu was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Monday.

The development is coming barely a month after the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal reaffirmed Tinubu as the winner of the contentious February 25 election.

The president polled a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, who garnered 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes respectively.

But Ifoh insisted there would have been anarchy in the country had the former Anambra governor given in to the pressure to lead a mass demonstration.

The statement partly read, “The Labour Party was aware of various trending stories in print and video suggesting that its Presidential Candidate Mr. Peter Obi will soon be arrested. The stories are draped with some so-called prophecies calling for prayers on Obi as he would be arrested. Ordinarily, such stories don’t deserve our attention. However, we are concerned when the faux stories flying around are juxtaposed with video clips spliced from pre-election and campaign speeches where Obi had underscored to Nigerian youths the importance of taking back our country.

“On March 1st, 2023 when the INEC announced its charade election result by 4 a.m., Obi supporters across the country and in the Diaspora mounted pressure on him to authorize a mass protest but he declined insisting instead that taking back Nigeria through him will come through due and peaceful process and not via violence.

“The insinuation of late that Obi is orchestrating violence is a figment of the imagination of the authors and giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Obi is not a violent man but he believes justice must reign no matter how long it takes.

“We must reiterate here for the record, Obi’s adherence and commitment to the rule of law and avowal of non-violent politics. As a man of faith, the former Anambra state Governor strongly believes that a new Nigeria is Possible following due process and does not need to drag his supporters out in the street to achieve it.”