The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general elections, Peter Obi, has rejected the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) read on Wednesday.
Obi insisted that he would exhaust every legal process available to him.
Speaking in a press briefing in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, Obi disagreed with the judgement but praised the panel for delivering it in the stipulated time frame.
“In my capacity as a presidential candidate and on behalf of the Labour Party, we will immediately challenge this judgement through the appellate process, as permitted by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The PEPC is not the ultimate authority in this matter, the responsibility now rests with the Supreme Court, which I have confidence in. I urge Nigerians to maintain their focus, steadfastness, and commitment to peaceful processes. This matter has not yet reached its logical conclusion,” he said.
Obi revealed that his legal team has already received firm instructions to file an appeal against the PEPC’s decision. He expressed determination in his pursuit of justice, not only for himself but also for the multitude of supporters across the nation whose electoral mandate he said was unjustly thwarted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Obi underscored the pivotal role of solid national institutions and the public’s confidence in them in a thriving democracy. He pointed out that electoral litigation could be significantly reduced if INEC discharged its statutory functions transparently and fairly. However, when such bodies falter, as he said INEC did in this case, the judiciary becomes an imperative recourse.
“I will exhaust the process before I can think otherwise. I respect the process. I’m a process person, and what we are going through is what will unite us. You can not use a wrong premise to make things,” he stated.