Buhari Explains Why Obi And Atiku Lost The Presidential Election In 2023 

The opposition parties, according to Buhari, have already assured their foreign funders that they will defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC).

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The opposition parties’ overconfidence has been cited by President Muhammadu Buhari as the cause of their defeat in the presidential election on February 25.

The President said this while hosting the Progressive Governors Forum, chaired by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, at the State House on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

According to Buhari, the opposition parties have already informed their foreign donors that they will beat the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.

“They were already telling their foreign backers they would defeat the APC. Our party blended confidence with caution; we worked hard and won. Their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else. They find it hard to convince those who supported them from the outside why they cannot beat us.

“A combination of overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. It has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?

“An important reason I congratulate Asiwaju on winning is that the opposition got support and false hope from outside and went on to create the impression that they will win, that they will defeat us. How more wrong could anyone be?”

President Buhari emphasized that the greatest way to survive politically in Nigeria was to tackle difficulties bravely and publicly. He encouraged the Progressive Governors to remain together and openly discuss concerns among themselves.

The President mentioned his retirement plan at the meeting and said he planned to stay at home in Daura for six months before relocating to Kaduna.

He praised Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai for building the infrastructure that would make life simpler for the state’s residents and for him once he retired.

To choose Nigeria’s president and vice president, the 2023 presidential election was held on February 25, 2023[a].

With a total of 8,794,726 votes, Bola Tinubu of the APC won the contested election with 36.61% of the vote. Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, were the runners-up. Both candidates immediately protested the outcome.