Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has, again, spoken on the outcome of the 2023 polls in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
According to a trending video online on Thursday, Soyinka made his views known in an interview with @oluwamayowaTJ.
In the interview, the poet and dramatist said Obi came third and not even second in the election.
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He told @olumayowaTJ: “This recent elections, it’s unfortunate that, because… two things happened first of all.
“One party took over the Labour Movement, which is one of my favourite movements also, and then it became a regional party more than, whereas it was a marvellous bridge into the established two camps.
“Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there.
“That he broke that mould.
“Yes.
“However, he did not win the election.
“In addition, my own organisation, as a monitoring unit, you know the one I am talking about, so I could say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third, not even second, and that the leadership knew it, but they wanted to do what we call in Yoruba ‘gbajue’, that is you know you have force of arms, you also have force of lies.
“And it was gearing up towards the alley.
“They were going to send some of the hardliners, they were going to sends crowds, young people into the streets to demonstrate.
“I’m always ready to be among such demonstrators, but only on the banner of truth not on lie, not on deceit.”
The Eagle Online recalls that the Presidential Election Petitions Court threw out the petition of Obi and Labour Party.
PEPC: Read full judgment in Tinubu, Obi, Atiku case https://t.co/qzliJM0GWu
In the suit, the petitioners sought the court to declare them the winners of the February 25, 2023 presidential election that saw the Independent National Electoral Commission pronouncing Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the validly elected candidate.
Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party came second, with Obi and the Labour Party third.
Both Obi and Abubakar, whose petition was also thrown out by the PEPC, have vowed to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.