…Says it’s a huge threat to democracy

The Media Office of Peter Obi, the presidential front-runner for the 2027 election and the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 election, strongly alerts the nation and the international community to a sinister scheme orchestrated by President Bola Ahmad Tinubu and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), aimed at denying Obi a platform for the upcoming January 2027 poll.

According to the Office, the underhanded plan has been in motion since the conclusion of the 2023 election, manifested in deliberate injection of crises into Obi’s Labour Party to prevent him from securing a foothold for the election.

It added that despite Obi’s relentless efforts to restore peace within the party, government infiltrators, aided by a compromised judiciary, have consistently thwarted these attempts.

The Media Office recalled: “In April 2025, the Supreme Court of our land delivered a ruling regarding the rightful control of the party. Yet, the ruling party has cavalierly disregarded this decision, using lower courts to undermine the authority of the Supreme Court effectively. When credible intelligence indicated that internal turmoil would persist until Obi was ousted, he made the difficult decision to exit the party to safeguard its future. As predicted by this scheme, when Obi left on December 31, 2025, the courts that had previously ignored the Supreme Court’s ruling suddenly took action on January 7, 2026, dismissing the meddlesome intrusions of Julius Abure and his faction.

“After fully aligning with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Coalition and bringing renewed vigour to the party, the ruling party escalated its efforts to sabotage him. They pursued bizarre legislative changes that culminated in a detrimental amendment to the Electoral Act, explicitly designed to exert pressure on the ADC and undermine Obi’s presidential ambitions.

“Obi’s visit on March 22, 2026, to the former Governor of Kano State and the 2023 presidential candidate of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, where he was warmly welcomed by Kwankwasiyya members, intensified the ruling party’s hostility toward him.

“The tipping point occurred during the ADC’s resounding rally in Kano on March 30, 2027, where Kwankwaso officially joined forces with the ADC. In a desperate move, the government manipulated the so-called Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reinterpret an Appeal Court ruling, leading to the delisting of the ADC’s leadership and putting Obi and other aspirants at serious risk of being denied a platform.

“The Peter Obi Media Office meticulously documents these alarming developments to inform Nigerians and the international community of this orchestrated manoeuvre to disenfranchise Obi and pave the way for President Tinubu’s uncontested candidacy. They are attempting to create an illusion of democratic choice by propping up surrogates in various political parties while scheming for a one-party system in a nation of over 200 million people with rich diversity.

“For this dictatorial agenda to succeed, it would profoundly disservice to millions of Nigerians—particularly the youth, women, and intellectuals—who desire a transformative vision for Nigeria based on production rather than consumption, curbing waste, and eradicating deep-seated corruption within the system.

“The Media Office of Peter Obi categorically condemns this disturbing trend as a blatant scheme to undermine democracy, establish dictatorship, and continue exploiting the nation’s resources through corrupt practices.

“We emphasise the importance of transparency and integrity in our democratic system. We are dedicated to informing both “Nigerians and the global community about these developments, urging a collaborative approach to strengthen our democracy.

“True democracy allows citizens to make informed choices about their leadership. As we move forward, it is crucial that the voices of the people—especially the youth, women, and intellectuals—are heard and respected. They seek a vision for Nigeria that prioritises production over consumption and works tirelessly to eradicate corruption.

“We therefore call on all stakeholders to uphold the values of democracy, ensuring that Peter Obi has the opportunity to present his vision for Nigeria to the electorate. Together, we can build a brighter future. A NEW IS POSSIBLE”.

E-sign.

Ibrahim Umar

POMR SPOKESPERSON

April 3, 2026

By Ayodele Oni

As Nigerians prepare for another round of general elections next year, controversy still trails results of 2023 presidential election as a former member of Obidient Movement claims Peter Obi admitted to members that he lost the Presidential poll.

Lawrence Okoro, an X user who claims to be a former member of the Obidient Movement, alleged that Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, once admitted he lost the election.

However, reacting to the allegation in an interview with TheCable, Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, challenged Okoro to provide proof of his claims, insisting that no such meeting ever took place.

The presidential election, held on February 25, 2023, was contested by Obi, alongside other candidates, including President Bola Tinubu, who was then the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes, behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 6,984,520 votes, while Tinubu won the election with 8,794,726 votes.

However, during a press conference in Abuja on March 2, 2023, Obi insisted he won the election and would prove it legally.

“This election will go down as one of the most controversial elections ever conducted in Nigeria,” the former governor of Anambra said.

“The good people of Nigeria have again been robbed. However, I appeal to Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“This is not the end but a beginning… We will explore all legal and peaceful options to reclaim our mandate. We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians.”

In a post shared on X, Okoro alleged that the former LP presidential candidate later “openly admitted” he “lost the election” due to the failure of party agents.

“Back when I was still part of the Obidient movement, I attended a closed-door meeting with Peter Obi,” he wrote.

“It was a small, selected group, shortly after the elections, as plans were being made around the ‘All Eyes On The Judiciary’ push.

“During that meeting, he openly admitted that he knew he lost the election, largely due to the absence of party agents across polling units to defend the mandate.”

Okoro said the claim surprised him, prompting him to question Obi further.

“I asked a simple question: ‘Sir, if we lost the election, why are we in court?’” he said.

“The room instantly turned on me. You could feel the outrage. Everyone was ready to shut me down, but he stayed quiet and never gave an answer.”

But,  Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, told The Cable that no such meeting ever took place.

“Can he give us proof of that? Because there was never a time we had that particular discussion,” Tanko said.

“We have always maintained that we won the election and that it was manipulated, based on the fact that from the beginning, the results were not uploaded on INEC’s IReV as at when due. We all knew that.

“Instead of results being shown on the IReV in real time, we only saw pictures of human beings.”

Presidential hopeful of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s repeated approvals of trillions of naira to settle debts in Nigeria’s power sector, questioning the effectiveness and transparency of such interventions.

In a statement released on April 7, 2026, Obi noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved ₦3.3 trillion as a “full and final” settlement of power sector liabilities. He pointed out, however, that similar approvals had been made in the past without clear evidence of execution or impact.

According to Obi, ₦3.3 trillion was earlier approved on May 17, 2024, for the same purpose, followed by another ₦4 trillion bond approval on July 25, 2024, alongside other interventions aimed at addressing the sector’s mounting debts.

He questioned whether these approvals were merely announcements, noting that Nigeria’s electricity supply has continued to deteriorate despite repeated financial commitments. Obi recalled that during the 2023 election campaign, Tinubu had promised improved power supply, yet the situation has worsened, with reports even suggesting potential disconnection of the Presidential Villa from the national grid.

Obi attributed much of the accumulated debt to successive APC administrations between 2015 and 2025, raising concerns about accountability and public financial management. He further observed that government institutions, including the Presidential Villa, owe a significant portion of the liabilities.

Obi also queried why previously budgeted and appropriated funds were not used to settle these obligations when due and whether the government is resorting to additional borrowing to address the issue.

He called for clarity on several key issues, including the actual size of the power sector debt, the causes of its accumulation, and the extent to which inefficiencies among operators contributed to the liabilities. He also questioned who ultimately benefits from the repeated disbursements.

Obi urged the government to move beyond what he described as “recycled announcements” and instead pursue transparent, accountable, and decisive reforms in the power sector.

He warned that without such measures, Nigeria risks remaining trapped in a cycle of debt and inadequate electricity supply, stressing that meaningful progress will require discipline, accountability, and effective leadership.