Peter Obi could not have won presidential election

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, said Thursday that he believes his former ally and opponent, Peter Obi, cannot win Saturday’s presidential election.

Atiku said that Mr. Obi, the candidate of the Labor Party, could not get the necessary spread under the constitution required to be declared president.

In addition to winning a majority of votes, a candidate must also receive 25 percent of the vote in at least 25 states to be declared the winner of the presidential election.

In his speech, Atiku acknowledged that Mr. Obi’s candidacy denied the PDP votes from its traditional strongholds in the South-East and South-South regions but said victory in those regions was not enough for Mr. Obi to become president.

Atiku spoke in Abuja at a press conference where he stated the party’s position to reject the results of the presidential election.

PREMIUM TIMES reports how Atiku came second in the election after Bola Tinubu of APC who emerged as the winner. Mr. Obi came third in the election.

Each of the three main candidates, however, won in 12 states while Mr. Tinubu was the only one who scored 25 percent of the votes in more than 24 states (he scored in 30 states), the constitutional requirement to declare the winner.

Details later…