Standard bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have lampooned the Presidency for rejecting the European Union final report on the February 25 presidential election.
The EU Observer Mission in its report faulted the polls owing to “enduring systemic weaknesses.”
The election outcome has been disputed by the PDP and the LP and their candidates who alleged that the polls were not credible.
But the Presidency in a statement on Sunday refuted claims by the EU that the election which produced President Bola Tinubu was flawed, describing the report by the EU observers as a “poorly done desk job.’’
The Chief Observer of the EU Election Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, had in a press briefing last week noted that “the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signal a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.”
He said the shortcomings in the law and electoral administration hindered the conduct of well-run and inclusive elections and damaged trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The EU EOM offered 23 recommendations for consideration by the Nigerian government that would improve future elections.
Of the 23, Andrews revealed that “We are particularly concerned about the need for reform in six areas which we have identified as priority recommendations, and we believe, if implemented, could contribute to improvements for the conduct of elections.”
The six priority recommendations highlighted the need to remove ambiguities in the law; establish a publicly accountable selection process for INEC members; ensure real-time publication of and access to election results; provide greater protection for media practitioners; address discrimination against women in political life, and impunity regarding electoral offences.
But Atiku slammed the Presidency for allegedly failing to understand that truth is constant all the time.
The Special Assistant to the ex-vice president on Public Communications, Mr Phrank Shaibu said the EU’s final report on the 2023 polls showed that the outcome of the election was not a reflection of the will of Nigerians who trooped out to cast their ballot.
He knocked the Presidency and Alake for trying to discredit the EU report.
Shaibu said even ‘the dead’ knew that the last election lacked credibility, adding that INEC had been unable to explain why nearly five months after the election, the complete result was yet to be uploaded on its result viewing portal.
He said, “Even primary school children who did not vote know that INEC failed woefully and that Tinubu rigged the last election. The presidential election was held on February 25, 2023 and yet as of July 2, 2023, the result of the election has not been fully uploaded. This is although this election was the most expensive in the history of West African politics.
“How can an election in which the full results have not been fully uploaded after nearly five months be described as credible by any sane human being?”
Shaibu described as nonsensical Alake’s claim that the EU was a meddlesome interloper for discrediting the poll.
According to him, it is hypocritical for the Nigerian government to receive millions of euros from the EU as election funds and then turn around to claim that the body had no right to make comments on the election.
“The EU said in September last year that it budgeted 39 million euros for Nigeria’s 2023 election. Most of the funding went to INEC as election support.
“The EU not only provided training for INEC staff but also donated equipment only for INEC to conduct a shambolic poll. So why would Alake claim that the EU has no right to speak when it was the largest single donor to INEC? Mr Alake should rather be quiet rather than try to defend the indefensible,” he noted.
On his part, the Chief Spokesman for Obi-Datti Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, disclosed that the EU mission downplayed what transpired in the February polls.
While stressing that the electoral umpire is truly not independent as presumed, Tanko knocked the presidential spokesman for trying to hoodwink Nigerians into accepting his narrative.
He said, “I think the EU has tried enough by playing down the truth. What they did was an attempt to give a balanced report. If the EU observers were to be more critical, the report would have been worse.
‘’We are talking about two elections that took place on the same day where the two results were being uploaded into the iREV as stipulated by INEC. One of the results, which was the most important, was deliberately stopped from being published for public view according to what happened at each of those polling units.
“How can you tell me that particular election was credible? Going further, this same election saw where people being ethnically profiled and denied to vote for the candidate of their choice because they hailed from a particular region.
“How can INEC, which is supposed to be an unbiased umpire, come out and be denying its results? As we speak, this same election has been taken to court and we are still challenging the process.
Speaking further, Tanko stated, “As far as we are concerned, the EU is being economical with the truth. Looking at Alake’s statement that they have left the elections behind them and Nigerians have come to accept Bola Tinubu as the president is a farce. Nigerians have not accepted anything.
“They are just patiently waiting for the outcome of the election tribunal panel. Trust me, Nigerians are still very angry coupled with the unpopular decisions including the hike in pump price to N700 per litre currently being meted out to the people.”
The acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, described the Federal Government’s response to the EU report as ‘medicine after death.’
Ifoh said, “Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission. We have always said that this election was massively rigged in favour of the APC and their candidate.
“What the FG is saying is just medicine after death. Even the blind can see, the deaf can hear and they know this election was manipulated. Without sounding immodest, evidence was given at the tribunal, as you are aware.
“Whatever thing the FG is saying clearly shows that INEC is not in any way independent. It is at the whims and caprices of the government and we know it. But Nigerians are hoping that the tribunal will right the wrong by correcting it. That’s where we stand.
“So there is no need to defend the integrity of INEC. Nigerians already know the winner. It is very clear even from the evidence before the tribunal.”