The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election.

This is even as they challenged him to honour an earlier pledge to withdraw from the 2027 race if liabilities were established against his administration in Anambra State.

The council’s spokesman, Dele Alake, in a statement yesterday, described Obi’s election claim as a “troubling display of delusion,” accusing the former Anambra State governor of disregarding facts and evidence.

Alake’s reaction followed Obi’s recent interview with the BBC, during which he reportedly maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election despite acknowledging that he had no evidence to support the claim.

“I don’t like going back to the past. I won the last election. There’s no evidence, but I won the election. Everything is not based on evidence,” Obi was quoted as saying.

Faulting the remarks, Alake said it was troubling for a presidential aspirant to insist that he won an election while admitting that he lacked evidence to substantiate the claim.

He argued that public figures, particularly those seeking the presidency, should support their assertions with verifiable facts rather than make unsubstantiated claims.

The APC spokesman maintained that President Bola Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission declared him the winner and that the election tribunal and the Supreme Court upheld the outcome.

Alake also accused Obi of persistently disputing the election outcome despite the official results and judicial decisions.

Beyond the controversy surrounding the 2023 election, the APC campaign council challenged Obi to honour what it described as his earlier pledge to exit the 2027 presidential race if it was established that his administration left liabilities in Anambra State.

“We again call on Peter Obi to act honourably and honour his earlier pledge to exit the 2027 presidential race if it is proven that his administration left behind liabilities in Anambra State—a fact now clearly established by the state’s financial records,” Alake said.

The statement, however, did not provide details of the specific liabilities or identify the financial records on which the council based its assertion.

Alake also defended Tinubu’s administration, saying it had pursued reforms aimed at stabilising the economy, expanding infrastructure, supporting businesses and young people, improving education and healthcare, and creating job opportunities.