Soyinka: We Actually Lost Feb 25 Presidential Election – Labour Party Tells Obi, Abure, Others
.. vituperation against Prof Wole Soyinka uncalled for
… Peter Obi to file appeal at Supreme Court on Tuesday
By Our Correspondent
The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP) Dr. Abayomi Arabambi has said that the recent disclosure by the Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka that the party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi never won the election was nothing but the obvious truth that resonates with Nigerians.
Arabambi said it is therefore condemnable and highly disturbing that rather than going back to the drawing board to meticulously examine where things have fallen apart and re-strategize for the 2027 elections, some irredentist masquerading as members of the Labour Party have chosen to attack the highly revered scholar for only re-echoing the truth that is not hidden to discerning Nigerians.
He revealed that the party sees the reaction of its factional Chairman, Julius Abure through his personal media aide, Mr Obiorah Ifoh to Soyinka’s statement as nothing but “affront and abuse from a rude boy to his grandfather”.
Speaking in a statement made available to our Correspondent on Saturday, Arabambi said that even Prof. Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra State where Obi hailed from had also said in the past that the probability of Obi clinching third position in the presidential race was very slim not to talk of winning the elections.
He said “As a party, we knew that Professor Wole Soyinka was right in his submission because how does anyone claim to have won an election based solely on pejoratives, assumption, vague rhetorics and zero evidence pointing to such being the case, but on the expectation that the actual winner would be disqualified and by some stroke of black magic, the candidate in the 3rd place will suddenly be declared winner without any proof of having scored the majority vote is absolute judicial madness on display by Peter Obi, Julius Abure and their blind allies
“We know we lost that election, it was true Obi and Abure wanted to do Gbajue because ab initio, even when the Presidential campaign council was formed, in the north, Peter Obi uses Igbo as State Coordinators while northerner remains their deputies”
He among other things alluded to the failure of the party the refusal to plan saying that it was an open secret that the party in its preparation towards the 2023 elections had poor logistics and suffered dearly for it
Arabambi said “They did not support any candidate financially, they did not rent party Secretariat at the ward, local government and state levels. No campaign material was produced nor was any vehicle purchased for the party at the state level
“That’s why we failed woefully. Imagine somebody that has no polling unit result sheet, and no agents in the majority of the polling units now turns around to claim election victory. So, how then do we say we won?”.
His words, “Our party’s attention has been drawn to a statement by Prof. Wole Soyinka where the respected Nobel laureate, alleged that the leadership of the Labour Party, LP, knew that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, lost the February 25 election during an event in Stellenbosh SA titled “The Lives of Wole Soyinka — A Dialogue” organised by Africa in the World.
“Our party further noted that it was while speaking at the event, that Prof. Soyinka was asked to react to his comment against the Vice-Presidential candidate of LP, Datti Baba-Ahmed after the general elections where he said “I can say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third not even second and the leadership knew it but they want to do what we call in Yoruba ‘blue’, that is a force of lies.”
“We know that In Nigeria, we have a weak truth, strong lies and many Nigerians are spectators whose sole interest is in who wins. They don’t mind if it is a lie that takes victory over the truth but they are just interested in who wins as openly exemplified by this unending, empty, bitter, miss directed ill-will from some thoroughly demystified political lilliputians and domicile puppets who want to make their argument looks as if it was in the best interest of the general public.
“We know we lost that election, it was true Obi and Abure wanted to do ‘Gbajue, because ab initio, even when the Presidential campaign council was formed, in the North, Peter Obi used Igbo as State Coordinators, while Northerner remained their deputies.
“Apart from Prof. Wole Soyinka, Anambra State Governor has also said that Obi is a trader who is in politics to trade with our money.
“The Governor of Anambra continues and I quote” As a brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that he or Prof. Umeadi of APGA would win, so why not? That is from my heart, but I also told him that my head and facts on the ground led me to know that its probability is next to zero (what I cannot say before you, I won’t say behind you). So I already told him my opinion. Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even be near the third position. Analysts tell him you don’t need “structure” to win. Fantasy! Of course, LP won governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and via phantom polls, while getting barely 2,000 votes on the ground. Creating a credible third force for the presidential election in Nigeria requires a different strategy and extremely hard work”
“At this juncture, we must ask what are his achievements as Anambra governor. He invested Anambra’s money in a bank in which he has an interest. That alone is a crime and this was the same thing he did in the Labour Party with Julius Abure
“We were deceived at NWC and NEC meetings, to make projections for the funds needed in respect of the 2023 General Election and Peter Obi made our videos for that meeting resolution and presented them to Nigerians at home and abroad for funds to be raised for the Party
“When the funds were raised, and they got that money, they diverted it deliberately by criminally precipitating a crisis and both have successfully stolen and made away with the entire donations to the party
“They did not support any candidate financially, they did not rent party Secretariat at the ward, local Government and state
“No campaign material was produced nor was any vehicle purchased for the party at the states except the Igbos in the National Working Committee
“Peter Obi added no value to the Party but ended up with stupendous wealth through Gbajue: obtaining money under false pretext in criminal conspiracy with the court-restrained former National Chairman Julius ABURE who was finally sacked by the Supreme Court on September 11 2023
“What did he come to do at the Party, but collect money on behalf of the Party; feather his nest and fraudulently use over 7 billion Naira for the prosecutions of the needless, untidy election petition at the PEPT which is a wholesome shenanigans destiny to fail. This is Gbajue Authenticated syndrome
That’s why we failed woefully. Imagine somebody that has no polling unit result sheet, and no agents in the majority of the polling units now turns around to claim election victory. So, how then do we say we won?
“Peter Obi did not pay agents for the presidential election thus why he failed woefully at the PEPT
“Peter Obi never supported the party to rent offices at the ward, Local Government, State and National Secretariat No vehicle was purchased by Peter Obi for the campaign at any level before and during the elections
“No candidates of the party were supported by any Kobo before and during the campaign and Election proper
“All the money meant for agents across the 176,606 polling units at 10,000 naira per agent was diverted by Peter Obi and Abure shamelessly to fund the immediate needs of their respective families
“Abure out of abuse of office not only uses party money to establish a business for his wife, but he also took several millions of Labour Party money to resurrect his private Ever Ready Transport Company and wife Zenith Catering services to the tune of N80m
“We knew the total monies Peter Obi and Abure collected in the name of raising funds for the Party.
“Apart from that, he was unable to file all the necessary documents at the right time, and all his lawyers who are mostly Igbo knew and failed to advise him.
“As a Party, we knew that Professor Wole Soyinka was right in his submission because how does anyone claim to have won an election based solely on pejoratives, assumption, vague rhetorics and zero evidence pointing to such being the case, but on the expectation that the actual winner would be disqualified and by some stroke of black magic, the candidate in the 3rd place will suddenly be declared winner, without any proof of having scored the Majority vote is absolute judicial madness on display by Peter Obi and Julius Abure and so goes to their Ethnic irredeemable irresponsible irredentist blind allies and supporters
“Labour Party has been reduced to a regional Party under him as he is only interested in National officers of IGBO EXTRACTION.
“PETER OBI is claiming to have won 100% in the South East, yet the so-called Obidient attack dogs see that as a perfect outing but fraud in other regions where he loses.
“The Party sees the reaction of former National Chairman Julius ABURE through his personal media aide Mr Obiorah Ifoh’s reaction to Prof. Wole Soyinka’s statement as an affront and abuse from a rude boy to his grandfather.
“We know that Prof Soyinka was saying the facts. We failed to plan and we took third position at the election. Our message to those ethnic irredeemable irresponsible irredentist dissidents who claim to be members of Our Party is that the vituperation against the Professor is uncalled for since he has said the truth and at his age, he has nobody to fear so what we expect as Party, we need to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize so that the Party can come out stronger in the next elections.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Peter Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has revealed that Peter Obi’s legal team may file an appeal at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Obi is also said to have no plan of changing members of his legal team.
Tanko and the National Legal Adviser of LP, Kehinde Edun, revealed this to reporters.
“I just confirmed that we have not filed the appeal. That will be done between now and Tuesday.
“We are also not seeking to engage or tweak our team of lawyers,” Tanko said.
Edun said, “We have not filed the appeal yet because we are still within the time frame.
“It will be done any moment from now. our legal team is still intact. They are some of our best hands.
“There is no reason to change them since we do not doubt their capabilities.”
Peter Obi’s petitions challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu at the 2023 Presidential election was struck out by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The LP presidential candidate has since vowed to challenge the tribunal judgement at the apex court
