By Peace Udugba — The Daily Torch Media
Labour Party chieftain, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, has challenged former presidential candidate Peter Obi to provide credible evidence to support his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election.
Arabambi argued that election victories cannot be established through political declarations or personal convictions but must be supported by admissible evidence capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny.
He made the remarks on Thursday, October 8, 2026, while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
His comments followed a recent interview Obi granted the BBC, during which the former Anambra State governor reportedly maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election while acknowledging that he lacked evidence to substantiate the claim.
Reacting, Arabambi insisted that anyone challenging an election result in court must be prepared to establish the allegations contained in the petition through credible documents, witnesses and other legally admissible materials.
“You cannot just say you won an election; you must be able to prove it with evidence,” he said.
The Labour Party chieftain stressed that courts determine election disputes based on the evidence presented before them, rather than the amount of money spent on litigation or the strength of arguments advanced outside the courtroom.
According to him, documents submitted as evidence must be properly authenticated and verified through the appropriate legal procedures.
Tribunal, Supreme Court Affirmed Tinubu’s Election
The dispute over the 2023 presidential election followed the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 6,984,520 votes. Obi, who contested on the Labour Party platform, finished third with 6,101,533 votes.
Obi and the Labour Party subsequently challenged the result before the Presidential Election Petition Court, while Atiku and the PDP also filed a petition against Tinubu’s victory.
The tribunal dismissed the petitions in September 2023. The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the appeals in October 2023, affirming Tinubu’s election.
Arabambi said the legal outcome underscored the importance of presenting credible evidence and demonstrating how such evidence established the allegations contained in an election petition.
Arabambi Questions Labour Party’s Polling Agents
The Labour Party chieftain also questioned the party’s preparations for the 2023 general election, particularly its deployment of polling agents and documentation of results from polling units across the country.
He claimed that the party did not have agents in approximately 56,000 of the country’s 176,000 polling units.
Arabambi further alleged that the party had only 4,859 coalition agents out of the 9,551 he said were required. He also questioned the submission of results from more than 23,000 polling units where, according to him, the party had no agents.
The claims could not be independently verified from the information provided.
“How do you establish results from polling units where you had no agents to participate in and authenticated the process?” he asked.
Arabambi also alleged that the party failed to tabulate its results in accordance with the Electoral Act and did not directly ask the tribunal to declare Obi the winner of the presidential election.
He argued that political parties must strengthen their grassroots structures and ensure that election results are properly documented from polling units through the collation process.
According to him, the experience of the 2023 election should serve as a lesson for parties preparing for the 2027 general elections.
Certificate Controversy Sparks Debate
Arabambi also addressed the controversy surrounding Obi’s academic credentials, saying his interest was to ensure that the relevant documents were subjected to verification through the judicial process.
He maintained that his position was based on the need to establish the facts rather than make political conclusions.
“I went to court. I only asked, where is the documentation? They have not produced anything. The registrar will come to court,” he said.
His comments generated reactions from listeners who called in during the radio programme.
A caller from Ijebu-Ode questioned Arabambi’s motivation for pursuing the matter, asking why similar controversies involving past political leaders had not attracted the same level of attention.
The caller also challenged him to explain whether Tinubu had fulfilled the promises made to Nigerians.
Another listener accused Arabambi of being motivated by personal grievances against Obi, arguing that his criticism would not change the former governor’s standing among his supporters.
Arabambi, however, rejected suggestions that his position was driven by personal considerations, insisting that public figures should be subject to scrutiny and that political considerations should not override due process.
The controversy surrounding Obi’s credentials remains distinct from the legal dispute over the 2023 presidential election result.
2027: Arabambi Calls for Stronger Party Structures
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Arabambi urged the Labour Party to address its internal challenges and improve its electoral preparations.
He called on the party to ensure adequate deployment of trained polling agents, strengthen its grassroots organisation and establish an effective system for documenting and collating results.
He maintained that the experience of the 2023 election demonstrated the importance of matching political claims with credible documentation and evidence that can withstand judicial scrutiny.
The comments add to the continuing political debate surrounding the 2023 presidential election, the Labour Party’s preparations for the next general election and the role of evidence in resolving electoral disputes.
