The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi has lamented over the 2023 presidential election insisting it is the worst in Nigeria’s history and a setback to the democratic process.
Obi made the comment when he was featured on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, saying despite the humungous amount budgeted for the election, the exercise did not meet people’s expectations.
Obi said: “We have seen probably what I consider the worst election in our recent history because of the Electoral law [Act] of 2022 which gave so much hope and the huge expenditure we put into technology.
“Do you know what it means to spend over $1bn? So, there was so much that was promised and then we went back to what it used to be. For me, that is very devastating.”
Obi, who berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its failure to transmit results of the presidential election in real-time via its portal, said the conduct of the 2023 exercise has downgraded the country.
He added: “Everybody paid so much emphasis on the law and the technology. You promise so much and don’t even meet the minimum.Whenever there is an election announced globally, what it does is that it uplifts the ratings of that society.”
He says the conduct of the presidential election has further dampened the morale of youths who had so much hope in the process.
Obi, however, expresses optimism that he would get justice in the court as he challenges the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All progressives Congress, APC saying: “I am not hurt or saddened personally but I am for my country and the future it portends for the young ones and the future generation because we can’t go on this way.
“We must build and bequeath them a better future.”