



Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has criticized National Assembly lawmakers for planning to purchase SUVs worth N60bn.
He described it as the “continuation of the troubling trend in our nation”.
According to Obi, the federal government has continued to overlook investing in critical sectors in the country, adding that one third of that amount, with proper negotiation, would have given the legislators locally manufactured SUV vehicles which would also help boost the Nigerian economy, create and retain jobs.
The presidential candidate also recalled how he cancelled an order for bulletproof cars during his time as Governor of Anambra state.
Obi said in a statement;
“The recent expenditure of N60 billion for the purchase of SUV vehicles for about 400 legislators is a continuation of the troubling trend in our nation today. We have continued to abandon the critical areas of development measurement while expending scarce resources on needless luxury and creating comforts for those elected to serve the people.
“Our primary healthcare, which is the foundation of health, a critical development index measure, has collapsed, leading to our surpassing India, a country 7 times our population, in infant mortality, a very saddening situation. To allocate such a huge amount, which is more than what we allocated to our primary health care, is nothing but troubling. One third of that amount, with proper negotiation, would have given them locally manufactured SUV vehicles from Innoson Motors, PAN or any local auto assembly plant, to help boost our economy and create and retain jobs.
“Upon my being sworn in as the then Governor of Anambra State, I observed that our State High Court Judges, State Government Permanent Secretaries and newly appointed State Commissioners had no vehicles. Anambra State Government had then ordered for two bullet proof SUV vehicles for my use. I cancelled the order and used the same money to negotiate a concessionary pricing with Peugeot Automobiles to supply us Sixty 406 vehicles which were enough for all the cabinet members including myself and my deputy governor. We used the vehicles for our first tenure and were able to commence the work of doing more in the areas of health, education and lifting people out of poverty.
“Nobody would contemplate this kind of expenditure under my administration. I urge all involved to depart from this path of wastage of public resources. A more prudent and transparent Nigeria is possible. -PO”

The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
According to the apex court, the appeal lacks merit.
The seven-man panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro held that the appeal lacked merit and “is hereby dismissed”.
Obi, in his notice of appeal, implored the highest court to overturn the PEPT’s September 6 decision, which upheld President Tinubu’s victory.
But the panel in a unanimous judgment on Thursday held that the appeal lacked merit and ought to be dismissed.
Giving ruling, the Supreme Court said:
“Double nomination ought not to have come to this Court. The Court cannot sit and begin to explain when this man resigned and when there was a fresh Primary.
There is an end to litigation. The issue of double nomination was rested in May.
All other grounds were dealt with in the Atiku’s appeal and apply to this mutantis mutandis.
This appeal lacks merit.”
More later…
Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, has expressed hope that the Supreme Court will affirm the president’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku and Obi had filed appeals before the apex court challenging Tinubu’s victory in the last presidential election.
However, the Supreme Court said it would pass a final verdict on the appeals on Thursday.
Reacting, Onanuga posted on X: “The Supreme Court will give its verdict tomorrow in the appeals filed by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
“They are challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, President Bola Tinubu in the 25 February election.
“We in the APC are hopeful for victory. We are hopeful that the apex court will affirm the sanctity of the 8.9m votes of Nigerians that gave President Tinubu victory last February.”
Nigeria’s President, Mr. Bola Tinubu, has said the appeal by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is lacking in merit, substance and good faith.
Tinubu who said Obi’s appeal which was based on allegations dismissed at the election petition tribunal, argued that the presidential election was peacefully conducted all over the country, and the results of elections were carefully and accurately recorded in the various forms of EC8As.
This was contained in a response by his lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, to the appeal filed by Obi challenging the decision of the tribunal.
He said, ”The entire petition was nothing but a jamboree of sorts, which was prosecuted more in the media than in the courtroom and the lower court, being a court of law and not of sentiments, dutifully threw away their petition after a painstaking consideration of same.
if considered from every angle, is lacking in merit, substance, and good faith.
“Be it noted that, unlike previous election petitions over which this honourable court has presided (in time past) and made far-reaching pronouncements on diverse issues, including but not limited to ballot box snatching, vote buying, voters’ intimidation, interference by the military, thuggery, ballot stuffing, violence, disenfranchisement, non-recording of votes in form EC8A, which is the building block or the base of the pyramid, and such other electoral vices, this appeal arising from a dismissed petition, the main grouse of which is that, while the presidential election was peacefully conducted all over the country, and results of elections carefully and accurately recorded in the various form EC8As, some unidentified and unspecified results, even in the appellants’ brief were not uploaded electronically to the IREV portal. ”
He noted that Obi failed to prove his allegations of non-compliance and corrupt practices as required by law.
Tinubu said, “Instructively, however, the lower court, appreciating that it is not a court of final instance, proceeded to determine the petition on its merit, while itemising several monumental failures of the petitioners to provide any evidence in support of their much-touted case.
“While affirming the election and declaration of the 2nd respondent at the referenced presidential election, the lower court also found that the appellants did not prove any of their allegations on the requisite standards of proof. ”
In his reply on the 25 percent requirement in the FCT, Tinubu told the apex court that Obi was on a “fishing expedition”.
He said, “The other very remote contention is that the 2nd respondent did not score 25 percent of the votes recorded at the Federal Capital Territory.
“With much respect to the appellants, the petition is more of a fishing expedition; much more of evocation of thunder without dews. ”
Tinubu, however, said the tribunal judgment was in order, adding that, “It is against the well-considered judgment of the lower court that the appellants have brought this appeal.”