by Gbemisola Adebowale
MARCH 15, 2023

During a post-election chat by Arise TV on March 13, 2023, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, made a number of controversial claims.

Defending his position about Nigeria’s presidential election, which was held on February 25, 2023, Obi made some assertions, driving further conversations online and offline.

CDD Election War Room checked his claims to keep you properly informed. Here are 10 claims made by Obi, and what we found about them.

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Claim I: Obi claimed that in India’s last election, 67% of the population of 600 million people participated.

Verification: According to the Times of India, voter turnout during India’s last general election in 2019 was 67.1%, which was 1.16% higher than the 65.95% turnout in 2014.

Verdict: True. It is true that 67.1% of eligible voters participated in India’s most recent election.

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Claim II: Obi said 95 million Nigerians are living in absolute poverty

Verification: Multidimensional poverty measures poverty beyond monetary poverty. The National Bureau of Statistics issued a press release on November 17, 2022, highlighting the results of the multidimensional index survey.

This survey sampled over 56,000 households from the country’s 36 states, including the FCT. According to the highlight, 133 million Nigerians, or 63% of the population, are multidimensionally poor.

Obi was likely quoting a World Bank projection — not an actual estimate, which stated that 95.1 million Nigerians may live in extreme poverty as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

Verdict: Inaccurate. An estimated 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor, and about 71 million of those live in extreme or absolute poverty, according to the World Poverty Clock.

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Claim III: Nigeria is the country with the highest infant mortality in the world.

Verification: According to an estimation by the UN inter-agency group for child mortality, Sierra Leone has the highest infant mortality rate as of 2021, with an index of 78.25; the Central African Republic is closely behind with an index of 75.46; Somalia is at 71.13; and after that is Nigeria, with an index of 70.59.

Verdict: False. Nigeria has the fourth highest infant mortality rate in the world, and not the highest, as claimed.

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Claim IV: Obi said during the 2019 elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had the highest vote in Anambra state, where they had almost 96%.

Verification: While it is true that the PDP received the most votes from Anambra in 2019 at a total of 524,738. The aggregate percentage is 86.63%, not “almost 96%,” as Obi claims.

Verdict: Inaccurate

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Claim V: Obi said: “I got more votes from indigenes in Lagos than those you can call visitors.”

Verification: Peter Obi won Lagos State with 573,088 votes, closely followed by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who received 571,575 votes.

However, as far as we know, there are no data sets segregating votes by tribes in a secret ballot system as operated in Nigeria. There is also no data regarding the number of accredited non-indigenes and how they voted. As a result, determining which tribes and indigenes voted for a certain candidate or the other is impossible.

Verdict: No evidence for Obi or anyone else to come to that conclusion.

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Claim VI: “In 2003, Obasanjo got over 90% of the votes in the entire Southeast.”

Verification: Odumegwu Ojukwu, former military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria; Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari were top contenders in the 2003 presidential election.

The total number of votes cast in the Southeast from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo was estimated to be 4,550,279.

Muhammadu Buhari received 253,059 votes (5.56% of the total).

Odumegwu Ojukwu received 1,018,966 votes (22.39% of the total).

While Olusegun Obasanjo received 3,161,019 votes (69.47%) of the total votes cast.

Verdict: False. Obasanjo received 69.47% of the votes cast in the southeast, not 90%.

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Claim VII: “When Abiola contested elections, he had more votes in the southeast ….even when his vice-presidential candidate was a Muslim from the North, and Tofa his opponent, had a respected Igbo man as his vice-presidential candidate. Yet Abiola won,” Obi said.

Verification: In the Nigerian 1993 general elections, only two candidates were elected to run: MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

There was a 25% voter turnout in that election and Abiola won only Anambra, one of the four southeastern states that existed at the time, while Tofa was victorious in Imo, Abia, and Enugu. (At that time, Ebonyi didn’t exist.)

Verdict: False. Bashir Tofa won the majority of the Southeastern states.

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Claim VIII: Peter Obi claimed that when the 1993 election was annulled, the Igbos lost more in NADECO and had their businesses ruined. “Go and check the principal and the people who actually lost more in NADECO. It is the Igbos, we lost more in NADECO — it is Ralph Obioha whose businesses were ruined. Go and check it.”

Verification: In 1993, widespread protests erupted in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria after Ibrahim Babangida, the military head of state, annulled the results of the June 12 elections. The election was won by MKO Abiola, a businessman from the Southwest.

The protests quickly turned violent, resulting in the loss of life, looting of stores, and destruction of property. The situation became so tense that many northerners and easterners living in Lagos fled, a phenomenon widely referred to as “Oso Abiola.”

What is NADECO?

The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was established on May 15, 1994, to exert pressure on Sani Abacha’s military regime to reinstate Moshood Abiola’s June 12 mandate.

The document that established NADECO, according to Olusegun Osoba, an elder statesman, was signed by 49 people, one of them was Ralph Obioha, mentioned by Obi.

Ralph Obioha claimed to be the leader of NADECO in the United States and Canada. He admitted in a tell-all interview that he lost a chain of businesses, including a bank, a brewery, a cement bagging plant, and a vegetable oil company, which together employed over 2500 people.

The Losses

The damage caused by June 12, 1993, was spread out over time. This July 1993 New York Times news report claims that not less than 11 people were killed during the immediate protest.

The violence that erupted in July 1998, after the death of MKO Abiola, triggered ethnic strife, of which many of its victims were of the ethnic Hausa group.

Verdict: It is difficult to objectively tell who lost more in the NADECO struggle. Abiola lost his wife, business, and his own life. Obioha lost his businesses, and many other Nigerians lost in like manner.

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Claim IX: The age of 40 is when people became presidents in America.

Verification: Of the 46 men who have served as president of the United States, only nine were between the ages of 42 and 49, with Theodore Roosevelt being the youngest at 42.

Joe Biden, the current president of the US, is the oldest president in the country’s history; he took the oath of office at the age of 78.

Verdict: Inaccurate. The average age of American presidents when taking the oath of office is 56.

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Claim X: “Life expectancy in the US is 72.5 years, in Nigeria, it is 54.”

Verification: According to the most recent data (2021) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans have an average life expectancy of 76.4 years, while Nigerians have an average life expectancy of 53 years World Bank (2020). UN projections for 2021 and 2022, also show Obi’s claim is inaccurate.

Verdict: Inaccurate.

https://cddfactcheck.org/?p=19603

The full interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRTBOuw44xs

Reactions to the interview.

More reactions.

NADECO wey dem don dissolve since 1999?

If you can't handover your daughter or sister for Marriage to a sick old man with dementia not physically and mentally fit and he is not aware of his environment with parkinson disease but you want this same man to head over 220 million Nigerians then may you and your family know no peace

If you pretend not to know what we passed through in the hands of Buhari with his incessant travel for medical check up to the extent that the whole country was complaining and even the yorubas were saying he should hand over to a young vibrant Osinbajo then may you and children know no peace

Pandora pathological liar Obi tuary is a Conman. Lying SOB can lie for the world.

Hg

w

Obi Pandora himself, the chief entertainer of 2023 election.

Meanwhile, the stat below is really worrisome and our government need to work on this.

Claim X: “Life expectancy in the US is 72.5 years, in Nigeria, it is 54.”

Verification: According to the most recent data (2021) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans have an average life expectancy of 76.4 years, while Nigerians have an average life expectancy of 53 years World Bank (2020). UN projections for 2021 and 2022, also show Obi’s claim is inaccurate.

This guy should rest and enjoy his old age in peace

Must he impress IPOB with lies

Abeg go and rest Mr man

naptu2:


https://cddfactcheck.org/?p=19603

The full interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRTBOuw44xs

Fvck your verdict.
So you know what's correct and what's not correct Nigeria is still in a mess like this? Being rule by retarded grandpa's, tell me what'd your stupid verdict be on that? Corn Verdict

I am waiting for fact check on whether Peter Obi get prick that's the only fact-checking remaining now...

Abeg make una return his stolen mandate and stop fooling yourselves and the entire country. Mad people everywhere.

Thunder fire Nigeria


Proudly Canadian 🇨🇦🍁✌️(The True North Strong and Free)

Wahala

hmm

You will never hear Obi talk about what he did as the Governor of Anambra State

He will just be reeling out stats upon stats about China, US, EU, South Africa, Korea, Ghana, Japan UN, North America etc

Nah statistic we want chop?

Why did people become Poorer in Anambra State while you're the Governor?

How many KM of road did you rehabilitate while you're the Governor? List out some of the major roads you rehabilitate as the Governor of Anambra State


Why were Doctors on strike for over a year?

Why is ASUU on strike for about 8 month?

Why did you refuse to hold LG Election till you are about to handover?

Why are you only able to increase Anambra State IGR by less than 20% throughout your tenure as the Governor of Anambra State?

If I interview Pandora, he will run away


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEg0EPJM4SE

Look at the way the incompetent Him Tu Lie disgrace himself here

Obi scored 1/10.

He made 10 claim and nine (9) of them are grossly inaccurate/cannot be verified.

This man legitly lies at every given stage. This is now starting to seem like he’s suffering from some form of derangement.

The queen of England dies, they scream victimization.
June 12 annulments of a Southwestern candidates, the Igbos also claimed they are then biggest victims.
Being a Victims no dey tire una

pinocchio ass niggaz

He said Nigeria has the highest,and you're claiming we are in fourth position,like is that not high enough?

Peter Obi is clueless. Nigeria dodged a bullet

They are drawn back gradually. Obi lamba sold by influencers to a lazy youth.

So Una no verify all this while but una Dey shout go and verify pass? Wonderful

That man is a pathetic LIAR!

Anyone who supported this man never meant well for this country.

The man is just chronic liar.

Elupee is not a party but an association of confused and disorganized blind dirty daft individuals. Very useless party and those who supported the party.

Una never verify the meaning of Bala blue.

Fut9ure:
If you can't handover your daughter or sister for Marriage to a sick old man with dementia not physically and mentally fit and he is not aware of his environment with parkinson disease but you want this same man to head over 220 million Nigerians then may you and your family know no peace

If you pretend not to know what we passed through in the hands of Buhari with his incessant travel for medical check up to the extent that the whole country was complaining and even the yorubas were saying he should hand over to a young vibrant Osinbajo then may you and children know no peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEg0EPJM4SE

Watch this video and tell me who's mentally fit between Asiwaju and Obi.

Tty

The man can't rule Nigeria, he is too founds of lies.

Nigeria will collapsed if this country elected the kind of Peter Obi as president.

All thanks to God who blessed us ASIWAJU as Nigeria President.

Obi God bless you


God is involved
As Tinubu become president of this nation Nigeria may 29/2023 the cloud of this nation Nigeria will change, he will do very great things for this nation Nigeria, may God help him not to change his mind towards this country, please let everyone of us pray for him against poison because no matter how the kitchen is protected poison is inevitable. God bless our country Nigeria and every citizen.

This is very funny. I think this verification was done from a biased opinion from the onset probably by a Thieffnubu urchin.

The verdict on the second claim concerning the number of Nigerians living in abject poverty is totally biased. What is the meaning of the word 'estimate'? Both the NBS and Obi are both making estimates. So why should Obi's estimate be judged as false when the NBS has failed to provide data (fact) but also estimate?

The verdict on the third claim could stand on the grounds that Obi used the word 'highest'. But any progressive minded Nigerian should understand that for a country like Nigeria to be in league with Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Somalia on infant mortality, then it's as good as having the highest. Also, not forgetting that these are all estimates. Nigeria being more populous could actually be having a higher number.

Now, for the verdict on the sixth claim, whether he used 90 percent or 70 percent, the truth is that Obasanjo got his highest votes from the south East and that is the point he was trying to make although he got the percentage wrong.

I won't go ahead with the rest because it's not worth the stress. I have come to observe that the verification is done not to learn or verify but to find a reason or two to call HE Peter Obi a liar.

Peter Obi is a politician with a difference. He is not a saint but he is better than Thieffnubu at the moment. The fact that he has an idea about the happenings around the world shows that he's actually reading. To be a good leader, you must be a good reader. We have never been able to verify anything about a certain candidate who hijacked the elections. I and all Obidients are strongly behind him as he fights to return power to the hands of the people.

God bless His Excellency Peter Obi
Nigeria's true president-elect

God bless Peter Obi


If only a little fact checking was done on Tinubu's origin, educational background, Narcotic drug dealings in Chicago USA, and how the entire common wealth of Lagosians found its way into his private pocket, we won't be here talking about how he is in possession of a stolen mandate