The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has been commended by the Chairman of the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) in Sierra Leone, Abdulai Bangurah, for his pre- and post-election conduct.
Bangurah urged candidates in Sierra Leone’s presidential election held on Saturday to take a cue from the Nigerian politician.
He spoke on Sunday afternoon at a press conference addressed by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), the Office of National Security (ONS) and the PPRC.
On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria announced Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was first runner-up and Obi was second runner-up, according to INEC.
Atiku and Obi have contested the outcome of the election at the presidential election tribunal, each claiming to be the winner of the election.
Obi enjoys massive following especially among Nigerian youths, and the ‘Obidient’ movement that his candidacy birthed has been very vocal before and after the election.
The former Anambra governor has regularly appealed to his supporters to be law-abiding and peaceful, while emphasising his belief in the Nigerian judiciary to restore his “stolen” mandate.
Noting that leadership is about self-restraint, Bangurah said that Obi’s call on his teeming supporters to shun violence averted disaster in the aftermath of the announcement of the presidential election result.
Speaking at an event on Sunday, Bangurah said, “I’ve always referred to Peter Obi. When he lost the election, we all know the promise he held when the elections were being conducted.
“I have always referred to Peter Obi when he lost (the) election; we all know the promise he held when the elections were being conducted.
“Almost everybody who is anything in Nigeria (threw their) support. But when the results came out otherwise, he didn’t call his supporters to the street to wreak havoc. He took the legal path and by that way, he was able to save his country from chaos.
“So we will encourage all of our politicians to learn from that example. Leadership is about self-restraint, and leadership is about selflessness. So we expect that our politicians will demonstrate this. The process has been peaceful so far so let us continue to be peaceful and promote the interest of our country,” the PPRC chairman said.