The Presidency has accused former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of “hallucinating” and living in a “political fantasy land” over his continued assertion that he won the 2023 presidential election.
The Presidency argued that Obi’s position was no longer tenable following the Supreme Court’s final judgment on the disputed election, which affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s victory.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made the remarks while reacting to recent comments by Obi, who is now the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
Dare accused the former Anambra State governor of allowing political ambition and arrogance to influence his continued rejection of the 2023 election outcome.
“Mr. Peter Obi is fat on ambition but drunk on political arrogance,” Dare said.
The Presidency further criticised Obi for refusing to accept the outcome of the election, describing his position as unrealistic.
“Peter Obi wallows freely in a political fantasy land. To still insist he won the presidential election after the country’s highest court, the Supreme Court, delivered a final judgment is clear hallucination,” the Presidency said.
It also challenged Obi’s suggestion that he could choose whether to concede an election, maintaining that the authority to determine the winner ultimately rests with the electorate.
“Who imbued him with the power to concede or not? He lacks such power. Only the Nigerian people have the power of the votes,” the Presidency said.
The Presidency also expressed confidence that Nigerians would return Tinubu to office in 2027.
“And in 2027, they will deliver their votes massively for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, leaving no room for the kind of antics Peter Obi is already front-loading,” it added.
The exchange followed an interview Obi granted Arise TV, during which he criticised the conduct of the 2023 presidential election and raised concerns about the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 poll.
Obi alleged that the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, worked against him during the 2023 election despite publicly assuring Nigerians and the international community that the commission was prepared to conduct a credible election.
According to Obi, Nigerians relied on INEC’s assurances before the 2023 election but would not make the same mistake in 2027.
“In 2023 we took things for granted, we believed the INEC, we believed that what they were saying they would do because the chairman then was travelling all over the world, telling the world that he and his team were prepared to do the right thing, when he was actually working for the opposite,” Obi said.
He said the experience had influenced his strategy for the 2027 election, stressing the need for Nigerians to take a more active role in protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
“This time we will only trust them by doing the right thing by ourselves,” Obi said.
When asked whether he had evidence to support his allegation against Yakubu, Obi responded, “Yes, of course.”
The 2023 presidential election was won by Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to the results declared by INEC, while Obi finished third behind Tinubu and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Obi and Atiku challenged the election result in court, alleging irregularities and violations in the conduct of the poll. The Supreme Court, however, ultimately dismissed the appeals challenging Tinubu’s victory.
The latest exchange comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Obi emerging as the NDC candidate and Tinubu expected to seek another term in office.
