The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Wednesday alleged that the party was rigged out of votes in the 2023 presidential election, claiming that its tally was reduced from about 10 million to six million votes.

Abure made the allegation at a rally held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, where the Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, declared his interest in contesting the presidency in 2027.

According to the 2023 presidential election results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the All Progressives Congress scored 8,794,726 votes; the Peoples Democratic Party polled 6,984,520 votes; the Labour Party came third with 6,101,533 votes, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party recorded 1,496,687 votes.

Abure said, “On the night Peter Obi defected, I received a telephone call from our vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed. He said he is not leaving the party because it was the platform upon which he, along with the former candidate, received 10 million votes from Nigerians, which was reduced to six million votes.

We all know what happened.”

Abure’s claim echoes the party’s 2023 petition challenging INEC’s declaration of the presidential election results, which was hinged on allegations of electoral malpractice and voter fraud but was dismissed by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

The tribunal rejected claims by the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, including allegations of fraud, violations of the Electoral Act by electoral authorities and assertions that President Bola Tinubu was ineligible to contest the election.

Speaking further, Abure argued that the party remained intact despite the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Obi, to the African Democratic Congress.

He particularly commended the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, and Baba-Ahmed for remaining in the party despite speculations that they might defect following Obi’s exit.

He said, “Only recently, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, told the world that he joined the party before Peter Obi did — and that is true. Otti also said he was not going to defect with Peter Obi.”

Abure disclosed that Baba-Ahmed personally suggested a meeting of party leaders and members to reaffirm unity within the party.

“In fact, he asked me to organise an event where members can come together. He first suggested that we meet at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with a few senior members and that he would foot the bill.

“But I suggested that we hold the event here at the party secretariat and invite our members, artisans and ordinary people who truly own the party, and he agreed. That is why we are having this gathering here today.

“The Labour Party is intact; we will not let Nigerians down. We will remain together and provide a genuine alternative for Nigerians,” Abure said.

Addressing party members and supporters, Baba-Ahmed said his decision to contest the presidency in 2027 was not an attempt to follow anyone’s trajectory or step into another person’s shoes.

Baba-Ahmed said, “I have made myself available to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes. May I remind you that before His Excellency, Governor Peter Obi, filed for the presidency, I had also aspired to the presidency? The records are there for you to see.”

The former lawmaker recalled his earlier attempt to secure a presidential ticket, noting that he had contested in the Peoples Democratic Party primaries before aligning with Obi in the Labour Party.

“In October 2018, I participated in the primaries of the then PDP in Port Harcourt and walked up to Obi for his vote, and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was.

“If you heard me well in what I just submitted, I saw a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023, and that is why I decided to flow with it,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed also addressed concerns about religion and ethnicity, insisting that the Constitution guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to seek elective office.

“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian, and the Constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity. Yes, I am a Hausa man, and the Nigerian Constitution also allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he said.

However, Baba-Ahmed noted that while he had made his intention known, he would adhere strictly to party and electoral guidelines.

“As a law-abiding citizen and a loyal party member, until the timetable is released by INEC and the leadership of the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything about it. But remember, I told you that Nigerians know the truth,” he stated. (PUNCH)