Abuja, Nigeria – A coalition of Civil Society Organisations under the Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum has called on Labour Party candidate Mr. Peter Obi to respect the results of the 2023 Nigerian general elections and move on. This appeal follows Obi’s ongoing criticisms of the election’s integrity.
Obi, reacting to the South African presidential election, reiterated his disapproval of Nigeria’s 2023 election, labelling it as fraudulent and marred by irregularities. He highlighted issues such as low voter turnout, late polling station openings, and the absence of diaspora voting.
“Nigeria’s 2023 election, with less than 30% of voter turnout, over 60% of the polling stations starting late, and no diaspora voting, was plagued by allegations of fraud and widespread irregularities,” Obi stated on X.
In response, the coalition, through spokesperson Dr. Danladi Ceceko, asserted that the election, which declared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner, was conducted fairly and transparently, and its results upheld by the Supreme Court.
“It is evident for all to see that the 2023 general elections, especially the presidential poll, were among the freest and most transparent in our history,” Ceceko stated. “The outcome, upheld by the Supreme Court, is a true representation of the will of Nigerians.”
The coalition criticized Obi for undermining Nigerian institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Supreme Court. They emphasized that these institutions validated the credibility of the elections.
Ceceko also questioned the inconsistency in the criticisms of INEC, pointing out that calls for the dissolution of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) in favour of INEC conducting local government elections contradict the accusations against INEC.
“Local government elections administered by SIECs are often fraught with irregularities and manipulation,” Ceceko noted. “It is evident that the political elite who frequently malign INEC are often the same ones overseeing flawed elections through SIECs.”
The coalition also challenged Obi’s comparisons of Nigeria’s electoral process to South Africa’s, noting that South African elections had their issues and technical glitches, with numerous petitions and rejections of the results by political parties.
“We really need Mr. Peter Obi to do his due diligence and research before comparing INEC to other countries’ electoral bodies,” Ceceko said.
Urging respect for Nigerian institutions, the coalition called for collective efforts to improve the electoral process rather than disparaging it. They highlighted the contradiction in Obi’s acceptance of his party’s wins in some elections while rejecting the results where he was not successful.
“It is hypocritical of Mr. Peter Obi to claim that the election which brought Governor Alex Otti of Abia was credible and transparent while asserting that the election he lost was marred by irregularities,” Ceceko added.
The coalition reminded Obi of his past benefits from the same institutions he now criticizes, noting that it was the Supreme Court that restored his mandate in 2003 and INEC that conducted the election securing his second term in Anambra.
They concluded by acknowledging that technical glitches are a normal part of electoral processes worldwide and do not necessarily invalidate the outcomes.
