The Nigerian government has dismissed the report by the European Union (EU) on the 2023 general elections, characterizing the findings of the EU Electoral Observer Mission as biased or prejudiced.
Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, expressed his dissatisfaction with the EU Electoral Observer Mission’s report in a statement on Sunday. Alake urged the EU and other foreign interests to maintain objectivity in their assessments of Nigeria’s internal affairs and allow the country the freedom to govern itself.
Alake firmly asserted that Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had clearly and fairly emerged as the winner in the presidential election held on February 25, 2023.
He further criticized the EU’s interference in Nigeria’s affairs, emphasizing that it was unacceptable for any foreign organization to impose its own standards and assessments as the sole criteria for determining the credibility and transparency of the country’s elections.
Alake concluded by urging the EU to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and refrain from meddling in its internal affairs.
Currently, Tinubu’s political rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), have taken their case to court to challenge the declaration by the electoral body that Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, won the election.
On June 27, 2023, the European Union (EU) presented its report on the 2023 elections in Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the EU, the election highlighted persistent structural deficiencies, indicating a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.
The EU also outlined six areas in which Nigeria’s electoral process could be improved for future elections.
Alake responded by asserting that the government was well aware of the EU’s efforts to maintain its biased and unsubstantiated claims regarding the election outcomes.
He argued that neither the EU nor any foreign or local organization has provided substantial evidence that would undermine the integrity of the 2023 election results.
Alake questioned the basis on which the EU reached its conclusions in the final report, considering the limited coverage of the election by their observers. He claimed that the observers relied heavily on rumors, hearsay, biased social media comments, and opposition narratives.
According to Alake, there are several reasons to believe that the EU’s report, which was based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was merely an attempt to uphold the same premature condemnatory stance present in their preliminary report released in March.
Alake firmly rejected any suggestion or claim from any organization, group, or individual that the 2023 election in Nigeria was fraudulent.
He emphasized that as a nation, Nigeria has moved forward from the election period. President Tinubu is now focused on the challenging task of nation-building, while those who have grounds to challenge the electoral process are pursuing their concerns through legal channels in the courts.