Why Peter Obi Should Not Have Contested 2023 Election
- Nigeria's justice system has again come under scrutiny following the claim that Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra, should not have contested the 2023 presidential election
- Justice Isa Salami, the former President of the Court of Appeal, made the claim while getting an award from the WSCIJ at his residence on Tuesday, March 24
- However, many Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions to the claim of the retired judge, who also faulted the judges in the judicial system
Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami (retd) has said Peter Peter, the former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, should not have been allowed to contest the 2023 presidential election under the umbrella of the Labour Party.
The former justice maintained that the incompetence and inadequacy of some justices in Nigeria are responsible for some of the wrong verdicts delivered by the courts.
Source: Twitter
The Punch reported that Justice Salami made the disclosure in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, while hosting and receiving an award presented to him by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Justice Salami received the award from the Founder and Executive Director of WSCIJ, Dapo Olorunyomi, and Motunrayo Alaka at his Ilorin country home.
His statement reads in part:
"Peter Obi ought not be allowed to contest the 2023 presidential election. In the sense that by the time he lost the PDP primary, LP had submitted its list of members to the Independent National Electoral Commission. And the Constitution says there cannot be an independent candidacy.
“How did he become a candidate of LP if he does not belong to LP? The same thing happened to the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, who had now defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). His name is not in the NNPP’s register, but they issued him a membership card, and the register is supposed to be the mother of the card."
Reactions as Salami knocks Peter Obi
However, the retired judge's revelation has sparked reactions among Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Biodun Adeyanju commented:
"Most commentators didn’t read the body of the message, except for the headline. This is not how to grow intellectually; that's why you have keypad warriors with little or no intelligence to match in their areas of agitation. The technical factor cited by the judge is enshrined in electoral law. What am I even talking about? People who couldn’t read two paragraphs of an article will now be saddled with the responsibility of reading constitutional documents that are voluminous and technically crafted. The only thing you will find is abuses and denigration of his personality. Poor you!"
Source: Twitter
Ola Alex wrote:
"Let him try such again in 2026. He should keep shopping for a weak party that would hand over their ticket to him without contesting the primary."
Excellent Touch said the Senate president should not have become a senator as well:
"Let's say Justice Salami is right, but I'm still wondering how Akpabio became a Senator."
Uche Orji remarked:
"Show Nigerians the law, or regulate your lawlessness."
You can read more comments on X here:
Obi denies seeking Tinubu's aide's support
Legit.ng earlier reported that former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has denied the claim of President Bola Tinubu's media aide, Daniel Bwala.
Obi maintained that he did not seek the support of Bwala during the 2023 general election, as claimed by the presidential aide in a recent interview.
The former presidential candidate explained that the allegation did not deserve his response, adding that he would not engage in any political transaction.
Source: Legit.ng
