Peter Obi - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Nigeria opposition’s Obi slams court ruling confirming Tinubu election win

NIGERIA'S opposition Labour Party leader Peter Obi criticised the Supreme Court's ruling affirming President Bola Tinubu's victory in February's elections and vowed to continue to fight for a "New Nigeria". The country's top court on October 26 rejected an attempt to overturn the election result by the main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar and Obi, who came second and third in the vote, slamming the door on any legal challenge against Tinubu, who says he won fairly. The Supreme Court judgment followed a pattern seen in previous presidential elections that have been challenged in court. None of the attempts to overturn results through…

Oct

2023

By CAMILLUS EBOH

Nigerian Supreme Court affirms President Tinubu’s election win

NEWS

NIGERIA'S Supreme Court upheld President Bola Tinubu's election win, bringing to an end a legal challenge brought by his two main rivals, who argued that his victory was marred by irregularities. The ruling will give 71-year-old Tinubu a clear mandate to govern Africa's most populous nation, which is grappling with double-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, a weakening naira, widespread insecurity and crude oil theft. The biggest opposition, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said it was "alarmed and disappointed" by the ruling, but Tinubu welcomed the judgment. "We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

NIGERIA: The court battle to save the elections

NEWS

NIGERIA'S ruling party has asked the Appeals Court to dismiss a petition by third-placed candidate Peter Obi who is challenging the victory of president-elect Bola Tinubu following a disputed election in February, court documents showed. Labour Party's Peter Obi, who came third in the election, and second-placed opposition People's Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Abubakar last month separately challenged the results in court. The two candidates said the results were fraudulent, citing Tinubu, his ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents. The APC said in a countersuit on Tuesday that Obi's petition should be dismissed on several…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Lagos in focus as Nigerians elect new state governors

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE NIGERIANS will return to the polls on Saturday to elect state governors across the country, two weeks after a disputed presidential election, with the main focus on the race to lead Lagos, the country's economic heartbeat and wealthiest state. The election is for 28 of the country's 36 governors, who are among the most influential politicians in Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and largest oil producer. Some states, such as Lagos, control budgets larger than those of small nations. The Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party's Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the presidential election with 39% of the vote.…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Obi says he, not Tinubu, won presidential election

NEWS

CAMILLUS EBOH NIGERIAN presidential candidate Peter Obi said he had won Saturday's election, called Bola Tinubu's victory fraudulent and promised to claim the top job through legal means. Tinubu, the ruling party candidate, was declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation on Wednesday, having won 37% of the vote. He said the election was credible and the reported problems had had no impact on the overall outcome. The main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, received 29% of the vote, while Obi, an outsider popular with young and educated urban voters, got 25%, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). "Let me assure…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s Peter Obi wins in Lagos state in presidential election

NEWS

NIGERIAN presidential candidate Peter Obi, whose campaign attracted young people and urban voters fed up with corrupt politics, won the most votes in the commercial hub of Lagos state, where Africa's biggest city is located. Nigeria's electoral commission began announcing state-by-state results in the national elections on Sunday, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days. Obi of the Labour Party got 582,454 votes, just ahead of 572,606 for former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu for the governing All Progressives Congress party, electoral commission data showed on Monday. Lagos was previously…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Peter Obi could be the force that topples Nigeria’s two main political parties

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

OBI-DIENT is the word in town for the Nigerians who support Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, south-east Nigeria. To them, Obi is the best candidate for the country’s presidency. A look at the development of Obi’s character reveals discipline, responsibility, prudent management of resources and a positive impact on society. Author KESTER ONOR, Lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Covenant University In secondary school, he was engaged in trading to make money. He is known for his “egg principle”: that even one egg for sale should be carefully guarded because losing it meant the loss…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Factbox: Nigeria election 2023: how it all works

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE and SOFIA CHRISTENSEN NIGERIANS are set to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday which is seen as the most wide-open since Africa's most populous nation switched from military rule to democracy in 1999. Of the 18 candidates vying to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, three stand a chance: former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, 70, the ruling party candidate; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 76, the main opposition candidate; Peter Obi, 61, a challenger popular among young voters. Here are key facts about the logistics of the election, Africa's largest democratic contest: WHEN IS IT? Voting takes place…

Feb

2023

By RACHEL SAVAGE

Explainer: What is at stake for investors in Nigeria’s election?

NEWS

VOTERS in Nigeria go to the polls on February 25 and international investors are cautiously hopeful that whoever is elected as the next president of Africa's largest and most populous economy will be more market-friendly than the current government. While there are also parliamentary elections, the focus is on the presidency. With incumbent Muhammadu Buhari not on the ballot, the main contenders are ruling party veteran Bola Tinubu, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, and third party candidate Peter Obi. WHAT ARE MAIN ISSUES FOR INVESTORS? Multiple exchange rates, widespread insecurity and low oil production due to massive crude theft are all problems that worry…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Buhari’s succession plans

NEWS

NIGERIAN President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order setting up a council to facilitate the transition to a new president who will emerge after a February 25 election. Buhari, 80, who is constitutionally barred from contesting the election, is serving his second and final term. He becomes the second Nigerian leader to complete two terms in office since the end of military rule in 1999. A new president will be sworn in on May 29. "The new Executive Order puts in place a legal framework for the seamless transition of power from one Presidential Administration to another," Buhari said in…