Tribunal: LP, PDP, and NNPP had 14,582,740 votes, while APC had 8,794,726 votes- Lere Olayinka

In response to the recent judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Nigeria, Lere Olayinka, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed his belief that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the election would not have been possible if opposition parties had united. Olayinka pointed to the historical context, noting that it took the collaboration of four opposition parties to displace the PDP from power in 2015.

During a televised interview on Silverbird Television’s program, hub, Olayinka, who also ran as the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ekiti Federal Constituency II in the 2023 National Assembly election, highlighted the substantial combined voter base of the Labour Party, PDP, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which exceeded 14 million. In contrast, the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured just over 8 million votes. This marked a significant difference of over five million votes, implying that had the opposition parties joined forces, they could have potentially surpassed the APC’s electoral count.

He said – “…in 2015, it took the coming together of four opposition parties to defeat PDP. However, in 2023, the opposition was divided into three – PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

“In the presidential election, opposition PDP, LP and NNPP had a total of 14,582,740 while APC had 8,794,726 votes.

“The difference between APC votes and those of the opposition parties was 5,788,014, meaning that if that opposition parties had presented a common front, the election would have been won so easily.”

In essence, Olayinka emphasized the potential strength in unity among opposition parties, underscoring that their collective support base in the last election was formidable. He suggested that had these parties collaborated, they might have been able to secure victory over the APC, given the notable margin in voter support. This perspective reflects Olayinka’s belief in the strategic importance of opposition unity in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Quoted (
)