The presidential candidate of the Labor Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has reviewed the performance of the party in the Saturday governorship election in Osun State won by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke, while the LP candidate, Yusuf Lasun, had 2, 729 votes in fifth position. Obi pointed out that the result of the Osun election was not enough to judge the rising popularity of the Labour Party.
Adeleke of the PDP won the election with 403, 361 votes, while Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had 375, 027 votes.
Obi in a statement to his supporters on Monday noted that the result of the governorship election in Osun State is not a verdict on the party’s growing popularity. He stated that the OBIdient family is nationwide and not relative to a sectional election.
Obi in the statement asserted: “To the Obidient Movement Family and our supporters nationwide, the outcome of this particular election is not a verdict on our exponentially growing strength nationwide, especially, when viewed against the fact that we are barely one month old in the party and we had to contend with forces that have been entrenched in the state for the last two decades.
“Within this very short period of only a few weeks, the Labour Party has made its presence and political impact felt nationally.
“I extend my warmest personal congratulations to Sen. Ademola Adeleke on winning the Osun State Gubernatorial elections.
“I also congratulate the candidate of our Labor Party, Rt. Hon. Lasun Sulaimon Yusuff and his running mate, Adeola Adekunle Atanda, for a hard-fought battle and their spirit of resolve and sportsmanship, despite the outcome.”
Peter Obi urged his supporters “not to relent in our noble march to take back our country”.
Obi, however, declared after the Osun election: “Much work remains to be done; hence, we must focus the totality of our efforts now on the forthcoming 2023 General elections.
“In the fullness of time, our message of rescue and recovery will resonate throughout the length and breadth of the Nation and most Nigerian electorate will buy in into our mission to take back Nigeria, for the purpose of rescuing it from continued decline, shift the National psyche from consumption to production and from sharing dwindling resources to creating wealth and frontally combating poverty”.