Two prominent former government officials; Babachir Lawal, ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation have alleged that Labour Party candidate Peter Obi won the 2023 presidential election.
Lawal, in a recent statement, asserted that Obi “clearly won” the February 25, 2023 poll, claiming the announced results did not reflect the actual voting pattern.
Amaechi, speaking during an X Space discussion on August 9, 2025, said Obi won in Rivers State but questioned how the results were “reversed” in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite their claims, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the election, with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi trailing in second and third place respectively.
Tinubu was subsequently sworn into office on May 29, 2023, following the dismissal of election petitions against him by the Supreme Court.
Their remarks, however, have reignited controversy over the credibility of the 2023 election.
Evidently, with legal challenges long concluded, it is now too late for such claims to alter the current political space.
Opposition parties should shift focus toward preparing for the 2027 general elections rather than revisiting the past.
