https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230703/nigeria-slams-jaundiced-eu-report-on-general-elections-1060301038.html
Nigeria Slams 'Jaundiced' EU Report on General Elections
Nigeria Slams 'Jaundiced' EU Report on General Elections
Sputnik Africa
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria published its final report on the federal and state elections, held on February 25 and... 03.07.2023, Sputnik Africa
2023-07-03T12:42+0200
2023-07-03T12:42+0200
2023-07-03T12:42+0200
sub-saharan africa
west africa
nigeria
bola tinubu
presidential election
elections
election meddling
european union (eu)
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The Nigerian presidency has slammed the report by the European Election Observation Mission on the 2023 polls, calling it a "product of a poorly-done desk job" based on unsubstantiated allegations and bias, insisting that the organization failed to provide viable evidence to back up its claims. Newly-elected President Bola Tinubu commented on the report in a statement saying that the government had numerous reasons to doubt the conclusions indicated in the document. The report's recommendations and conclusions are based on the information provided by fewer than 50 observers, who in turn relied mostly "on rumors, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries," according to the statement. First of all, the Nigerian president pointed to the report's evidence base, describing it as poor and not reliable enough to question the integrity of the results. He recalled that the mission monitored the pre-election and post-election processes from January 11 to April 11, observing the polls through 11 Abuja-based analysts and 40 election observers spread all over the country. Based on this information, he wondered how it was possible to independently monitor the election in more than 176,000 polling stations and draw conclusions on its outcome with such limited coverage. Tinubu's administration reiterated the government's position on the polls and their outcome, highlighting that the 2023 general election was the most transparent and best-organized since the end of the military rule in the nation in 1999. It was noted that the government strongly rejects all allegations and statements from any foreign organizations suggesting that the elections were rigged. The presidency also underlined that the elections were validated by various foreign observers, including the African Union, ECOWAS, and Commonwealth Observer Mission. Moreover, the credibility of the results was confirmed by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In particular, the NBA deployed more than 1000 observers all over the country and provided "a more holistic and accurate assessment of the elections in their own report." Highlighting the unacceptability of any attempts to violate the country's sovereignty, the president urged the EU and other foreign or local organizations to be objective in all their assessments of the internal issues of the nation and "allow Nigeria to breathe." On March 1, Nigeria's independent National Electoral Commission declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Tinubu, the winner of the February 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes (36%). The opposition parties filed petitions in a bid to challenge the results, arguing that the vote was marred by numerous violations of the law and other irregularities.The European Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria concluded in its report, released last week, that the 2023 general elections failed to "ensure a well-run transparent, and inclusive democratic process." In particular, the report cited operational failures and lack of transparency, noting that public confidence and trust in the country's electoral body were "severely damaged" during the presidential election.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230521/nigerian-court-to-merge-opposition-petitions-against-president-elect-tinubu-1059386231.html
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230616/nigerias-tinubu-appoints-special-advisors-to-push-reforms-1059970550.html
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west africa, nigeria, bola tinubu, presidential election, elections, election meddling, european union (eu)
west africa, nigeria, bola tinubu, presidential election, elections, election meddling, european union (eu)
Nigeria Slams 'Jaundiced' EU Report on General Elections
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria published its final report on the federal and state elections, held on February 25 and March 18, this June 27. In the report, the mission claimed that there was a lack of transparency and other misconduct during the electoral process.
The Nigerian presidency has slammed the report by the European Election Observation Mission on the 2023 polls, calling it a "product of a poorly-done desk job" based on unsubstantiated allegations and bias, insisting that the organization failed to provide viable evidence to back up its claims.
Newly-elected President Bola Tinubu commented on the report in a statement saying that the government had numerous reasons to doubt the conclusions indicated in the document.
The report's recommendations and conclusions are based on the information provided by fewer than 50 observers, who in turn relied mostly "on rumors, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries," according to the statement.
“We have many reasons to believe the jaundiced report, based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was to merely sustain the same premature denunciatory stance contained in EU’s preliminary report released in March," the statement read.
First of all, the Nigerian president pointed to the report's evidence base, describing it as poor and not reliable enough to question the integrity of the results. He recalled that the mission monitored the pre-election and post-election processes from January 11 to April 11, observing the polls through 11 Abuja-based analysts and 40 election observers spread all over the country.
Based on this information, he wondered how it was possible to independently monitor the election in more than 176,000 polling stations and draw conclusions on its outcome with such limited coverage.
"We are convinced that what EU-EOM called the final report on our recent elections is a product of a poorly-done desk job that relied heavily on few instances of skirmishes in less than 1,000 polling units out of over 176,000 where Nigerians voted on election day," the presidency said.
Tinubu's administration reiterated the government's position on the polls and their outcome, highlighting that the 2023 general
election was the most transparent and best-organized since the end of the military rule in the nation in 1999. It was noted that the government strongly rejects all allegations and statements from any foreign organizations suggesting that the elections were rigged.
The presidency also underlined that the elections were validated by various foreign observers, including the African Union, ECOWAS, and Commonwealth Observer Mission. Moreover, the credibility of the results was confirmed by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In particular, the NBA deployed more than 1000 observers all over the country and provided "a more holistic and accurate assessment of the elections in their own report."
"For emphasis, we want to reiterate that the 2023 general elections, most especially the presidential election, won by President Bola Tinubu/All Progressives Congress, were credible, peaceful, free, fair and the best organized general elections in Nigeria since 1999," the presidency stressed.
Highlighting the unacceptability of any attempts to violate the country's sovereignty, the president urged the EU and other foreign or local organizations to be objective in all their assessments of the internal issues of the nation and "allow Nigeria to
breathe."
On March 1, Nigeria's independent National Electoral Commission declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Tinubu, the winner of the February 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes (36%). The opposition parties
filed petitions in a bid to challenge the results, arguing that the vote was marred by numerous violations of the law and other irregularities.
The European Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria
concluded in its report, released last week, that the 2023 general elections failed to "ensure a well-run transparent, and inclusive democratic process." In particular, the report cited operational failures and lack of transparency, noting that public confidence and trust in the country's electoral body were "severely damaged" during the presidential election.
