Afenifere knocks INEC, says commission disobeys electoral guidelines

The pan‑Yoruba socio‑political organization Afenifere has condemned the outcome of the February 25, 2023 presidential election, which was won by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu. In a communique issued after the group’s general meeting, Afenifere also faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to comply with electoral guidelines. The document, provided to our correspondent by the association’s Secretary‑General, Mr Sola Ebiseni, in Akure, Ondo State, alleges that INEC’s alleged non‑compliance led to a series of malpractices during the election.

The communique states that “the deliberate non‑compliance by the Commission with these mandatory guidelines encouraged electoral brigandage at the polling units, including the destruction of ballot papers, snatching of ballot boxes, doctoring of figures and swapping of votes of candidates at the coalition centres by amended and outlawed manual procedures.” It claims these actions rendered the February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections flawed in several respects, as confirmed by local and international observers.

According to Afenifere, credible sources indicate that the lawful votes show Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Gregory Obi won the election. The group therefore supports Obi’s decision to challenge INEC’s declaration. Afenifere “denounces in strong terms” any congratulatory messages to the INEC‑declared winner and dissociates itself from such messages. The statement adds that, for equity, fairness, national cohesion and peaceful coexistence, “the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a person of its Southern part and specifically the South‑East.”

The organization called on Nigerians to turn out in large numbers for the upcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Earlier, the worldwide leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, sent a congratulatory letter to President‑Elect Tinubu on his victory. In that letter, Fasoranti urged the President‑Elect to avoid the mistakes of his predecessors, saying: “You now have the opportunity. Now is the time for you to prove me right. I pray to God to be with you. In going about this, avoid the mistake of some of your forbears. Be fair to all concerned. Go ahead to unite the country, see and treat the country as one. Be a federalist. Allow the big ethnic groups to exist and respect one another, but also allow the small ones to feel proud and wanted in the spirit of federalism as practised in the USA.”