Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has strongly criticized the recently concluded Edo State governorship election, describing it as a “blatant example of state capture.”
Obi’s comments come after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner, with the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata finishing third.
In a tweet on Monday, Obi expressed his disappointment in the electoral process, calling it an outright subversion of democratic values. According to the former Anambra State governor, the conduct of the election raised serious questions about Nigeria’s democratic integrity.
“What happened over the weekend in the name of an election in Edo State does not in any way represent the democratic process we chose as a method of electing our political leadership,” Obi wrote. “Instead, it was a blatant example of ‘state capture’ and continued gross undermining of our democratic process and values.”
Obi emphasized that elections should be about making the country work for everyone, not about simply gaining power. He warned that Nigeria’s flawed leadership recruitment process poses a threat to the country’s future stability.
“Any nation whose leadership recruitment process is so fatally flawed is doomed, and we are all seeing the effects in our country,” he stated.
Obi was also critical of INEC’s handling of the election, particularly its failure to fully utilize the IReV and BVAS technologies designed to prevent electoral malpractice.
“As a country, we have invested significantly in IReV and BVAS, and they must be allowed to function and be used properly in order to free our electoral process from the massive falsification that has plagued it,” he noted.
He further called out individuals and institutions involved in manipulating the electoral process, warning that those responsible would eventually face the consequences.
“To the agencies and individuals being used to undermine our democracy simply because they hold positions of authority, please remember that your time in office is not eternal. The society that you are helping to destroy today will eventually take its revenge on you tomorrow,” he cautioned.
Obi also had stern words for those in academia and other sectors complicit in electoral malpractices, urging them to consider the future consequences of their actions.
“The damage you are causing today will inevitably take revenge on you tomorrow and affect your children in the future,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, Obi reiterated that his focus is on ensuring that politics in Nigeria is about saving the country and creating a system that works for all Nigerians, rather than pursuing power for personal gain.
“This kind of action has no place in a true democracy. That is why I have always maintained that today’s politics is not about capturing power, but about saving the country and making it work for everyone, regardless of their background,” Obi concluded.
https://x.com/PeterObi/status/1838220433419653523?t=2fCsAJ7_gNI9UeqXAxmJ2w&s=19
