Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the candidates for the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party in the 2023 election, have knocked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for rejecting the European Union’ s final report on the February 25 presidential election, according to PUNCH.
In its report, the EU Observer Mission criticized the polls for having ” persistent systemic weaknesses. “
The PDP, the LP, and their candidates contested the election results, claiming that the polls were unreliable.
However, the Presidency rejected the EU’ s allegations that the election that resulted in President Bola Tinubu was invalid in a statement released on Sunday, calling the EU observers’ report a ” poorly done desk job. “
In a press briefing last week, Barry Andrews, the head of the EU Election Observation Mission, stated that ” the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signaled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability. “
He claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission’ s credibility was harmed by flaws in the law and electoral administration, which prevented the holding of fair elections that included everyone.
The Nigerian government should take into account 23 recommendations made by the EU EOM to better prepare for the upcoming elections.
Regarding the 23 proposals, Andrews stated, ” We are particularly concerned about the need for reform in six areas that we have identified as priority recommendations and that, if implemented, could contribute to improvements in the conduct of elections. “
The six priority recommendations emphasized the need to clear up legal ambiguities, create a transparent selection process for INEC members, ensure real- time election results publication and access, increase media practitioners’ protection, address discrimination against women in politics, and end impunity for electoral offences.
Dele Alake, the President’ s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy, claimed bias and a desire to ” impeach the integrity of the 2023 elections, ” which it referred to as the ” best organized general elections in Nigeria since 1999, ” in a statement titled ” We reject the European Union’ s conclusions on the 2023 general elections. “
The statement stated that ” we vehemently reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organization or group remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent. “
” While addressing journalists in Abuja on the so- called final report, Andrews noted that EU- EOM monitored the pre- election and post- election processes in Nigeria from January 11 to April 11, 2023, as an INEC- accredited election monitoring group, ” the Presidency said in a statement.
However, Atiku criticised the Presidency for apparently failing to comprehend that truth is always consistent.
However, according to Mr. Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant to the Ex- Vice President for Public Communications, the EU’ s final report on the elections of 2023 demonstrated that the results of the vote were not a reflection of the preferences of Nigerians who turned out to cast their ballots.
He criticized Alake and the Presidency for attempting to discredit the EU report.
” Even ” the dead, ” according to Shaibu, were aware that the most recent election lacked legitimacy, and INEC was unable to explain why, nearly five months after the vote, the full results had not yet been posted on its result viewing portal. “
” Even primary school students who did not cast a ballot are aware of how horribly INEC failed and how Tinubu corrupted the previous election, he claimed. Even though the presidential election was held on February 25, 2023, the results have not yet been properly published as of July 2, 2023. Despite the fact that this election cost the most money ever in West African politics, this is true. How can an election be described as credible by any sane human being when the full results have not been fully uploaded after nearly five months? “
On the other hand, Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesperson for the Obi- Datti Campaign Council, revealed that the EU mission downplayed what happened during the voting in February.
Tanko criticized the presidential spokesman for attempting to dupe Nigerians into believing his story while highlighting the fact that the electoral umpire is not as independent as widely believed.
” I think the EU has tried enough by downplaying the truth, ” he remarked. They made an effort to present a balanced report. The assessment would have been worse if the EU observers had been more critical. We are referring to two elections that were held on the same day and whose results were posted into the iREV in accordance with INEC requirements. According to what occurred at each of those polling places, the most significant outcome was purposefully withheld from the public’ s gaze. “
” How can you assure me that a certain election was legitimate? Further, during the same election, those who were of a certain ethnic group were refused the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice. How can INEC, which is meant to be an impartial arbitrator, publicly dispute its results? We are still contesting the procedure even though this election is currently being litigated in court. “
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