The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has shunned the invitation by his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart in the poll, Atiku Abubakar, to join him to secure justice.
Atiku on Thursday called on his co-contestants on the platforms of the Labour Party, Obi; and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to join his quest in making President Bola Tinubu account for his forgery of Chicago State University certificate.
Atiku said this at a world press conference in Abuja, two days after his lawyers through a United States court obtained the academic records of Tinubu from the Chicago State University (CSU) which showed alleged discrepancies with what the sitting Nigerian president submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission before the February election.
Both Atiku and Obi challenged Tinubu’s election at the Presidential Election Tribunal Court, for months before the tribunal overturned the cases and affirmed the president’s victory.
Meanwhile, both candidates have appealed the dismissal of their petitions at the Supreme Court, with the PDP candidate hoping to use the alleged forged certificate as a strong case against Tinubu in his appeal.
Speaking at the conference, Atiku said, “This quest is not for or about Atiku Abubakar. It is a quest for the enthronement of truth, morality, and accountability in our public affairs.
“In line with this, therefore, I am calling on all well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought, our religious leaders, our traditional leaders, our community leaders, our political leaders, and in particular, Governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP and, the leaders of every political party in Nigeria, and, indeed, every single person who loves this country, as I do, and who wishes nothing but the best for the country, as I do, to join me in this campaign to enshrine probity, accountability and the basic principles of justice, morality and uprightness in our country and in our government. This is a task for each and every one of us.
However, the former Anambra governor, in a statement issued by Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said he was “focused” on “reclaiming his mandate” at the Supreme Court, according to a statement obtained by The Nation.
In turn, he welcomed others to join in their (Obi and LP) pursuit of justice in the country.
The statement said: “The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi is presently in the Supreme Court seeking to reclaim his stolen mandate and he is focused on that.
“He has been in the vanguard of ensuring a just nation where justice must be the watchword, and he will not stop until Nigeria achieves a leadership it truly deserves.
“Obi has pontificated severally on the need for leaders to be good role models and to live a life worthy of emulation. This he has done by publicly putting his credentials in the open for verification. Nigeria will get better when men of integrity and honour drive the affairs of the nation.
“We therefore welcome every other interest willing to join us in our pursuit of a nation where justice shall reign.”