By Michael Ovat- Awka
The Senator-elect for Anambra Central Senatorial District, Victor Umeh, has vouched full involvement in the election petition of the presumed winner of the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, of the Labour Party (LP).
Umeh who said that his joy of winning the February 25 poll would not be complete without Obi reclaiming his mandate in court ,said Obi got over two million votes in Rivers State but was short-changed.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election.
Speaking at a radio programme monitored by our correspondent, Umeh while thanking the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District for voting for him, enjoined them not to despair over the rigging of the presidential election, stating that Obi would reclaim his mandate by the grace of God.
He revealed that Obi constitutionally won in no fewer than 30 states as against INEC claim of winning in 12 states.
Umeh, noted that over 38 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had taken up the Obi election petition matter pro bono.
He said, “I thank Ndi Anambra central for voting for me and I’m happy that I won .I promise to continue doing the things I’m known for by speaking for our people and contributing in debates for the progress of Nigeria but my joy is not complete because of Peter Obi: he won the election but was rigged out .If the winner is not announced but the loser ,the land will be angry and indeed the land is angry .
“By 4am on Wednesday ,Igwe Mbaukwu called me with a sad news that INEC had declared Tinubu the winner of the election.I wonder why the declaration in that odd hours of the night and why INEC was in a hurry to give Tinubu Certificate of Return in the evening of the day they declared him winner when National Assembly election winners have not been given theirs .
” It’s obvious that since INEC robbed the true winner of his victory ,there has been no celebration, no dancing; no gunshots because the wrong person was declared winner .It was not what we asked to be bought for us at the market that was bought .
“INEC told us that Obi won in 12 states and got 25% in 20 states which is not true for Obi got 25% in 30 states from the real result available to us .
From our calculation,Obi had a landslide victory at Lagos state and scored more that 2 million votes in Rivers state .
“The real result from one LG is out and that’s how it is in almost all LG’s in Rivers state. In that LG ,Obi got above 70,000 votes and APC got 3,000 votes but they changed it and gave Obi 3,000 votes and 80,000 votes to Tinubu .The votes allocated to us in Benue ,Plateau were not what we got and I strongly believe that the court will do the right calculation and give us back our victory . It was possible in 2003 when Obis Anambra state guber election victory was stolen and it will be possible again .
“We’ve set up a situation room at Abuja on Friday after which I went with Obi to see the EU observers ,38 SANS drawn across Nigeria have offered their services “pro Bono” and more are joining .
“In this petition ,I will fully be part of it as I was in 2003’and God of Abraham ,Isaac and Jacob who sees in secret and abhors injustice will reward us .
“Be strong ! Don’t fear! We have more than enough evidence to get this stolen victory back at the court .
