The federal government rejects the EU’s partisan report on the 2023 elections.
The Nigerian Federal Government has categorically rejected the European Union’s report on the 2023 general elections, designating the EU Electoral Observer Mission’s conclusions as “sour.” In a statement released on Sunday, Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, expressed the government’s displeasure.
Alake emphasized that Tinubu, the former candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the presidential election conducted on February 25, 2023, unequivocally and legitimately. He urged the EU and other foreign entities to assess Nigeria’s internal affairs with objectivity and to enable the country to operate independently.
Alake stated that the government considers it absurd and unethical for any foreign organization to insist on using its own standards and judgments as the solitary criterion for determining the credibility and transparency of Nigerian elections in the present day.
Tinubu’s opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), have challenged the electoral body’s decision to declare Tinubu the winner in court.
The EU delivered its report on the 2023 elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on June 27, 2023. The EU report highlighted systemic flaws exposed by the elections and recommends additional legal and operational reforms to improve transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Alake stated, however, that the government was aware of the EU’s attempts to perpetuate its largely unfounded biases and claims regarding the election results. He emphasized that neither the EU nor any foreign or domestic organization has presented evidence that could compromise the integrity of the 2023 election results.
Given the limited coverage of the elections by their observers, who allegedly relied heavily on conjecture, hearsay, biased social media comments, and opposition rhetoric, Alake questioned the EU’s methodology and the basis for its conclusions in the final report.
Alake argued, “We have ample reason to believe that the negative report, based on the opinions of fewer than 50 observers, was intended to sustain the same prematurely condemnatory stance found in the EU’s March preliminary report.” “We categorically reject any suggestion from any organization, group, or individual that the 2023 election was fraudulent.”
Alake emphasized that Nigeria has moved on from the elections and that Tinubu is now concentrating on the difficult task of nation-building, while those who wish to challenge the process are pursing legal avenues.
Source: Channels TV