Peter Obi, Nigeria’s third-placed presidential candidate, has claimed that he is being pressured to leave the country. Mr. Obi did not provide evidence to support his allegations, but claimed it was part of the government’s attempts to “divert attention” from a “blatantly stolen” election.
He has already challenged the results of the presidential election in Nigeria’s highest appeal court. Mr. Obi tweeted on Wednesday night that “the attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked.”
An alleged conversation between Mr. Obi and a religious leader, likening the presidential election to a religious war, is being circulated on social media in Nigeria.
Mr. Obi has called it a “fake doctored audio call,” and stated that he never said, thought, or implied that the 2023 election was a religious war. He has promised that his lawyers will take action against the online publication that circulated the clip.
Nigeria’s presidential election in 2019 was marred by allegations of widespread voter fraud, vote rigging, and violence. President Muhammadu Buhari won the election, but the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result, alleging it was rigged. Mr. Obi is a member of the PDP and was its vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 election.
Mr. Obi’s allegations of being pressured to leave Nigeria come amid rising insecurity in the country. Nigeria has been battling an insurgency in the northeast by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram since 2009. In recent years, the country has also witnessed an increase in kidnappings, banditry, and communal violence. The Nigerian government has been criticized for failing to address the security challenges facing the country