By Daniel Kudayah
A lawyer and Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ogun State APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election.
Oladele said Obi’s claim was difficult to understand, especially as he reportedly admitted during a BBC interview that he could not provide evidence to support it.
Obi made the comments during an interview with BBC Africa journalist, Madina Maishanu.
Reacting to the interview, Oladele said personal belief was not enough to prove that a candidate won an election. He added that anyone making such a claim should be ready to present facts to support it.
“You cannot insist that you won a presidential election and, when asked to prove it, rely on personal belief. Elections are decided by the law, and anyone challenging the result must provide evidence,” Oladele said.
He recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Bola Tinubu the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election. Obi came third, behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oladele also noted that Obi challenged the election result in court. The Presidential Election Petition Court dismissed his petition in September 2023, while the Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory in October 2023.
According to Oladele, Obi had the opportunity to present his evidence during the court proceedings but had yet to convince him that his claim of victory was supported by facts.
“Peter Obi went to court and had the opportunity to present his evidence. The courts examined the case and gave their decisions. Yet, he continues to insist that he won while saying he cannot prove it. What should Nigerians make of that?” he asked.
The former federal lawmaker warned that accepting a politician’s personal belief as proof of election victory could weaken public trust in the electoral system.
He said political claims should be backed by facts, adding that repeating an allegation does not make it true.
“If the evidence exists, Nigerians deserve to see it. If it does not, the claim remains an allegation that has not been proven,” he said.
Oladele also expressed concern over what he described as a growing habit among politicians of blaming election results on manipulation whenever their preferred candidates lose.
He said such claims could make people lose trust in democratic institutions if they were not backed by clear evidence.
According to him, candidates who disagree with election results should use the legal process to challenge them rather than rely only on personal beliefs.
Oladele, who also serves as a Federal Commissioner at the Federal Character Commission, maintained that the law requires people making claims to provide evidence to support them.
He concluded that Obi was free to maintain his position but said the claim that he won the 2023 presidential election needed to be supported by credible facts.
