Following a report by the European Union highlighting the drawbacks in the February 25 presidential elections, the Presidency has alleged that the body is biased against the Nigerian government.
Recall that the body in Abuja through its Chief Observer, EU Election Election Observation Mission, Barry Andrews, faulted the election that produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s president, noting that “the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signalled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.”
EU also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve of some aspects of the process in subsequent elections.
However, the Presidency, which responded through the President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, on Sunday, refuted the EU’s final report.
In a statement titled, ‘We reject European Union’s conclusions on 2023 general elections,’ Alake said, “We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent”.
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The presidency alleged bias and an intention to “impeach the integrity of the 2023 elections” which it described as the “best organised general elections in Nigeria since 1999”.
While faulting the fact-gathering mechanic of the EU, the Presidency said, “While addressing journalists in Abuja on the so-called final report, Andrews noted that EU-EOM monitored the pre-election and post-election processes in Nigeria from January 11 to April 11, 2023, as an INEC accredited election monitoring group.
“Within this period, EU-EOM observed the elections through 11 Abuja-based analysts, and 40 election observers spread across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“With the level of personnel deployed, which was barely an average of one person per state, we wonder how EU-EOM independently monitored elections in over 176,000 polling units across Nigeria,” Alake queried.
Alake, speaking further, described the 2023 general elections, most especially the presidential election, won by President Bola Tinubu/All Progressives Congress, as the credible, peaceful, free, fair and the best organised general elections in Nigeria since 1999.
Additionally, he said, “There is no substantial evidence provided by the European Union or any foreign and local organisation that is viable enough to impeach the integrity of the 2023 election outcomes.”