Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi, to abandon plans of approaching courts to challenge the 2023 presidential election result since votes garnered during the exercise were less and did not meet provisions stated in the country’s Constitution.
Atiku said that rather than go ahead with his plan of approaching the court to challenge the result, the Anambra State former Governor should team up with him, who came second and had votes that met the stipulated requirements, to reclaim the alleged stolen mandate from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Vice President stated this, on Thursday, during a press briefing attended by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and governors including Emmanuel Udom and Amadu Fintiri of Akwa Ibom and Adamawa states, in Abuja.
Atiku maintained that he was open to an alliance with Mr. Obi, who did not get 25 per cent votes from all the states.
While the PDP and LP have rejected the outcome of the poll, Atiku, who ran alongside Obi in the 2019 election, says he is open to working with the former Anambra State governor.
According to Atiku, “It is true that he took our votes from the South East and South-South. I can tell you that the number of votes garnered will not make him the next president. We all know that to become Nigeria’s president, we need votes from everywhere. So, as far as I am concerned he does not have that.
“So, as far as I am concerned, Peter is welcome to dialogue with the PDP. We are ready to dialogue with him. I don’t think we will have a problem if he wants to dialogue with the PDP, whether for an alliance or not,” he said during the event.
Obi, who was a former chieftain of the PDP left the party before the presidential primary and joined the LP where he became its candidate.
But Atiku has faulted the move which he said was ‘hasty’ and not well-thought-out by the LP candidate considering that his continued stay in PDP could have been picked as his running mate for the election.
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Atiku continued, “At the time Peter decided to leave the PDP for the Labour Party, we had not really begun our primary process. So, the question of whether he was going to get a ticket or not, did not arise.”
He claimed the LP flagbearer only took votes in PDP strongholds and could not have won the presidential election relying just on the South-East.
“Agreed; that it is a fact that he took our votes in the South-East and South-South and that of course would not make him a president. You all know that to be a president of this country, you all need votes from every part of the country,” he added.
The PDP candidate berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the elections, accusing it of shattering the dreams and aspirations of Nigerians.
“Having consulted with leaders of our party who are seated here with me and Nigerians from different walks of life, I have come to the conclusion that the processes and outcome of the presidential and national elections on Saturday were grossly flawed by every single material and as such, must be challenged by all of us,” Atiku said.