Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) won the 2023 presidential election.

Lawal, in a statement on Tuesday, said Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came second, while Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came a distant third in the poll.

“I have resisted the temptation to engage in the contemporary political discourse since the February 2023 election faux pas,” the statement reads.

“I did this for two reasons; the first being that as an active player in the drama, I needed time to analyze and digest the data that led to the outcome(s), so I could arrive at an informed decision; the second, being that the rainy season had just set in and it was necessary that I focused my attention on my farms which are the mainstay of my livelihood.

“The current topical issues for political discourse and inquiry are whether or not Bola Tinubu won the presidential election and/or that he was a priori, qualified to participate in the election given his murky biodata as is now being publicly unveiled daily in an avalanche.

“My answer to the first inquiry is that regardless of whatever INEC or Appeal Court said or did, Bola did not win the election.

“Right from the start of the campaigns, Bola knew he was not going to win the election in a free and fair contest so he decided to go by all means.

“Available factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicate that Obi got the majority votes while Atiku came second. Bola came a distant third in the number of votes scored.

“My answer to the second inquiry is that given the now unfolding deluge of uncomplimentary information about who or what he actually is, ordinarily, sound ethics and morality should have convinced him to voluntarily excuse himself from participation in the election.”

“RESIGN AND GIVE ATTENTION TO YOUR HEALTH”

The ex-SGF called on Tinubu to resign as president to attend to his health.

Lawal said six months into Tinubu’s administration, Nigerians have realised that what they have is not what they deserve politically.

“But this, notwithstanding, I believe he still has time and opportunity to save himself this public humiliation and embarrassment to his person, both locally and internationally by resigning so that he can give more attention to his health,” he said.

“After all, no one knows about the truism of these severely embarrassing and humiliating exposures about his person than the man himself.

“Leadership is all about integrity; sound pedigree, trustworthiness, and the ability to unite and instil hope and confidence in the people one seeks to lead. In these qualities, most Nigerians are in total agreement that Bola has them in very very short supply indeed.

“But now, six months down the line, the chicken has come home to roost as Nigerians have come to the realization that we have not got what we deserve politically.

“Confusion and despondency are now all over the nation as no one trusts the government to do what it says it will do.

“No one trusts the leader, and no one trusts appointees who are appointed as rewards for their roles in the election or who had in the past helped him in his life.”

Lawal also alleged that the appointments made by Tinubu were compensations to those who helped him to get into office.

“Bola the President and his group are now in government and are in full control of Nigeria’s vast resources and opportunities. They are enjoying their offices while Nigerians languish in insecurity, poverty, and hopelessness,” he said.

“It seems more like he is rewarding people who supported him to get the Presidency at all costs. This band of appointees that Bola is assembling into his government don’t care about Nigeria at all.”

The Cable