Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has urged former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to accept the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, saying he should stop claiming victory in an election he did not win.
Onanuga made the remarks in a statement issued after Obi’s interview on Channels Television, where the former Anambra State governor discussed his political career and the 2023 election.
The presidential spokesman described Obi’s television appearance as unsuccessful, alleging that it contained false claims while questioning his political record.
Responding to Obi’s comparison of his political journey with that of President Bola Tinubu, Onanuga argued that Tinubu has remained within Nigeria’s progressive political tradition throughout his career.
According to him, Tinubu moved from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and eventually the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2013 merger of opposition parties.
He contrasted this with Obi’s political career, noting that the former Anambra governor was elected under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), later joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contested the 2019 presidential election as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate, moved to the Labour Party before the 2023 election and has since aligned with the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Onanuga also alleged that the Labour Party experienced a leadership crisis after the 2023 election and claimed that campaign funds in Obi’s possession had not been fully accounted for.
He further accused Obi of leaving political parties instead of remaining to resolve internal challenges and strengthen their structures.
On the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, Onanuga maintained that Obi did not win the poll, noting that the election result was upheld by the courts, including the Supreme Court.
“Mr Obi, it is time you accepted the stark reality of the loss. Stop dreaming of a victory that you never had,” Onanuga said.
He urged the former presidential candidate to accept the court’s decision and focus on future political engagements rather than revisiting issues that have already been settled.
