Peter Obi: I Won 2023 Presidential Election, I Have Proof Ex-INEC Chairman Worked Against Me

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has alleged that former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, worked against him during the election despite travelling around the world and assuring the international community that the electoral body was prepared to conduct a credible poll.

Obi made the allegation during an interview aired on Arise TV, while discussing the 2023 presidential election and preparations for the 2027 poll.

The former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the forthcoming election, said Nigerians took INEC at its word in 2023, believing assurances by Yakubu that the commission would conduct a credible election.

“In 2023 we took things for granted, we believed the INEC, we believed that what they were saying they would do because the chairman then was travelling all over the world, telling the world that he and his team were prepared to do the right thing, when he was actually working for the opposite,” Obi said.

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He added that he would not make the same mistake in the next election, insisting that Nigerians would have to ensure that the electoral process work properly rather than relying solely on assurances from electoral officials.

“This time we will only trust them by doing the right thing by ourselves,” Obi said.

When asked whether he had proof to substantiate his allegation against Yakubu, Obi responded, “Yes, of course.”

Asked to explain what evidence he had, the Labour Party candidate said the alleged wrongdoing was known to those who conducted the election, including the former INEC chairman himself.

“Everybody knows, even him (Yakubu) knows. I am sure if you meet him, he knows in his heart that he did the wrong thing,” Obi said.

Obi was subsequently asked whether he had personally met Yakubu over the issue.

“I don’t want to, that is past,” he replied.

“Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. For me it is gone, it is finished,” he added.

Obi also maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election despite finishing third in the official results declared by INEC, behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Asked how he could maintain that he won when there was a significant margin between his votes and those recorded for Tinubu and Atiku, Obi dismissed the importance of the official margin.

“Yes, I won the election,” he said.

“Forget about the margins, everybody, those who conducted the election, the officials know they did the wrong thing,” Obi added.

The 2023 presidential election was won officially by Tinubu, who was declared president-elect by INEC. Obi and Atiku both challenged the result in court but their legal challenges were unsuccessful.

Obi’s latest comments come as political parties and presidential candidates begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with electoral integrity and the credibility of INEC expected to remain major issues in the contest.