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…says the preponderance of Igbo people gave Obi victory in Lagos

John Alechenu, Abuja

The Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku-Okowa Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu, has described the announced outcome of last Saturday’s Presidential poll which Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, was declared winner, as a sad day for Nigeria.

Momodu said this when he appeared on a Channels Television Breakfast Programme, Sun Rise Daily, on Thursday.

The PDP Chieftain also attributed the victory of the standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, in Lagos State to the “preponderance of the Igbo people in Lagos”.

He said, “What transpired last Saturday, the major factor was ethnic: the Labour Party was able to take over the APC behemoth because of the preponderance of the Igbo people in Lagos. They are everywhere.”

The Atiku campaigner explained that  Obi and Atiku held their respective geopolitical bases but Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) couldn’t hold on to his base in Lagos.

According to him, “Obi started in the East. He had his base intact. Atiku had his base intact in the North-East and the North-West. The only person who could not hold his base was Bola Tinubu and now you are telling me that a man who could not hold his base is the champion in the North?” he queried.

“Last Saturday was another sad day for our country. A faulty process cannot give birth to a perfect process. The Electoral Act was not obeyed.

“So, whosoever won last Saturday cannot lay claim to legitimacy. That process gave birth to the hullabaloo that we have now.”

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to deliver on its promises, especially on the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) and an on-time transmission of results through its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

Results of the presidential election as announced by INEC showed that LP’s Obi polled 582,454 votes in Lagos to defeat Tinubu, a former Lagos governor who scored 572,606 votes.

Obi equally defeated Atiku and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Lagos. Kwankwaso polled 8,442 while Atiku polled 75,750 in Lagos.

In total, Obi won 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory but Tinubu scored the highest votes in total and was later on Wednesday announced the winner of the poll and Nigeria’s President-elect.

Both Atiku and Obi have given indications that they’ll challenge the entire electoral process in court citing substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act as one of the grounds for their imminent action.

Meanwhile, Tinubu received his certificate of return from INEC which declared him winner after he was adjudged to have received the highest lawful votes cast. End