There’s No Evidence I Won 2023 Presidential Election – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has admitted that he has no evidence to prove that he won the 2023 presidential election, despite maintaining that he was the actual winner of the contest.

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Obi made the disclosure during an interview with BBC Africa while reflecting on his political journey, the outcome of the 2023 election and his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election.

The former Anambra State governor was asked to provide evidence supporting his long-standing claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, which was declared in favour of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In response, Obi acknowledged that he could not produce evidence to establish his claim that he won the election. He, however, maintained that his belief about the outcome of the election had not changed.

According to him, his position was not necessarily dependent on documentary evidence, insisting that he still believed he won the election.

2027: Peter Obi Admits He Has No Evidence He Won 2023 Presidential Election

“There’s no evidence I won it. Everything is not based on evidence. I won the election and that’s where I will end. I don’t like going back to the past. I sustain what I said. I’ve not changed. What has changed is that whenever I talk about methodology, people say, oh, it has changed,” Obi said.

The 2023 presidential election was won by Tinubu, according to the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu was declared the winner after polling the highest number of votes in the election, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second and Obi, who contested on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) at the time, finished third.

The result was subsequently challenged in court by both Atiku and Obi.

Obi and his Labour Party approached the Presidential Election Petition Court, challenging the declaration of Tinubu as winner and alleging irregularities in the electoral process. Atiku and the PDP also challenged the outcome separately.

However, the Presidential Election Petition Court dismissed the petitions challenging Tinubu’s victory. The decision was later appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld Tinubu’s election as President.

Despite the legal outcome, Obi has continued to maintain that he won the 2023 presidential election.

During the BBC interview, however, he said he did not want to remain focused on the past, suggesting that his attention was now on the future and the 2027 presidential contest.

The development comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Obi now seeking the presidency under the NDC after previously contesting the 2023 election on the Labour Party platform.

Obi has remained one of the prominent figures in Nigeria’s opposition politics and has repeatedly criticised the policies and performance of successive administrations, while calling for greater accountability, economic reforms and improved governance.

His latest admission is likely to generate renewed debate among political observers and supporters of the various parties, particularly because his claim of victory in 2023 has remained a major subject of political discussion since the election.

While Obi continues to insist that he won the election, the courts have already determined the legal challenges to the result in favour of Tinubu. His statement that he has no evidence to prove that he won therefore adds a new dimension to the debate over the 2023 presidential election and his political strategy ahead of 2027.