Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party has urged Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, and Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate, to congratulate President Bola Tinubu and follow the lead of President George Weah of Liberia.
This request was made in a statement released on Sunday, November 19, 2023, by Abayomi Arabambi, the LP’s factional spokesman.
Recall that Joseph Boakai, the leader of the opposition, defeated President Weah in his bid for reelection in Liberia.
Weah, a previous Ballon d’Or winner, acknowledged defeat after losing to Boakai.
The statement from Arabambi essentially says, “The results of the Liberian presidential election have forced incumbent President George Weah to congratulate the opposition candidate, Boakai, who is clearly the winner. The election is still ongoing. The electoral umpire has not yet declared the winner.”
“The Labour Party believed that it’s instructive that elections like any competition would produce the winner and loser.
“This is why the behaviour and reaction of President George Weah even before the official announcement of the results of the presidential election in Liberia to his loss should be commended and African leaders should emulate.
“Nigerian leaders should emulate this spirit of sportsmanship.
“President George Weah of Liberia has again shown, like former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, that incumbency is not a tool to be used to rig elections, and the opposition should not be intimidated by incumbency.
“As a responsible leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan also did the same as George Weah, and today he is being reckoned with as a great pillar of democracy.
“The Labour Party therefore appealed to Obi’ and Atiku to support the administration and have faith in ongoing reforms.
“We had expected the duo to have buried the hatchet and join hands with the president in delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Peter Obi and Atiku should exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship and congratulate the president and join hands with him to revamp the economy and deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.”
