Okupe also accused Tinubu’s opponents of being unrealistic with their claims that “the presidency was stolen”
By Kehinde Okeowo
The former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign, Doyin Okupe has dismissed claims that the 2023 presidential election was manipulated.
President Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who came second and LP’s Peter Obi, who finished third.
Following the declaration of results, Obi and his followers, the Obidient Movement, alleged that the election was rigged.
The LP candidate later proceeded to court to challenge the outcome of the poll but the judges dismissed his petition.
Reacting to Obi’s allegation in a statement on Thursday, Okupe wondered why the former Anambra governor claimed that the election was rigged when President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost in Lagos State.
He also pointed out that the then president and APC chieftain, Muhammadu Buhari lost his home state,
Katsina.
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Okupe said: “If Peter Obi (2023 LP presidential candidate) or the Labour Party says APC rigged elections, how come Obi was able to win in the home base of President Bola Tinubu?
“How come APC lost election in the home base of the sitting President (Muhammadu Buhari)? How come APC lost election in the home base of the secretary to that government?
“So, the accusations about rigging do not hold water; they do not hold water at all.
“The truth of the matter is that under the best of conditions, the results we got may not have been the exact results, but they will have that ratio.”
The Ogun State born medical doctor turned politician further accused the opposition of being unrealistic with their claim that “the presidency was stolen”.
“There’s nothing like that. No presidency was stolen. I am not saying there was no rigging.” he added.