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| 2023 election results: Middle-Belt Coalition calls for acceptance – Urges Obi to acknowledge |
The Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum, a group of Civil Society Organisations, has called on Labour Party's Mr. Peter Obi to accept the 2023 Nigerian general elections' results and move forward.
This call comes in response to Obi's consistent criticism of the presidential election's outcome.
Reacting to South-Africa’s presidential election on Saturday, Obi claimed the recent general election was rife with fraud and numerous irregularities.
Obi stated in a sequence of X posts: “With under 30% voter participation, over 60% of polling stations opening late, and the absence of diaspora voting, Nigeria’s 2023 election faced accusations of fraud and widespread irregularities, alongside glitches, despite significant spending nearing a billion dollars (direct allocation of =N=313 Billion plus donor agency contributions).
“Contrastingly, with around 60% voter turnout, over 90% of polling stations opened promptly, diaspora voting was permitted, and the results and updates were delivered in real-time without any technical issues during the election.”
Dr. Danladi Ceceko, the spokesperson for the coalition, issued a statement on Sunday, asserting that the election outcome, which led to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning, mirrors the desires of Nigerians.
“The 2023 general elections, particularly the presidential vote, were notably free and transparent. The Supreme Court-endorsed results accurately represent Nigerian citizens' will, and it's time for everyone involved to recognize the results and progress,” Ceceko remarked.
The coalition criticized Obi for attempting to discredit national institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Supreme Court.
“Mr. Peter Obi’s actions to undermine respected institutions like INEC and the Supreme Court, which confirmed the elections' integrity, are regrettable,” he added.
Ceceko highlighted that if INEC were as flawed as some politicians suggest, it begs the question of why there's a push to dissolve the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and have INEC oversee local government elections.
“SIEC-managed local government elections are notorious for irregularities and manipulation. It's clear that the same political figures who criticize INEC are those responsible for the country's most problematic elections via SIECs,” he explained.
The coalition also questioned Obi's comparison of Nigerian elections to South Africa's, pointing out that the latter also faced challenges and technical issues, including 579 petitions and 20 political parties disputing the results, as reported by global media.
“We urge Mr. Peter Obi to thoroughly research before equating INEC with electoral bodies from other nations. The South African election encountered documented technical difficulties,” he said.
The coalition called on Nigerians to respect their institutions and collaborate to enhance the electoral system instead of belittling it.
“It's contradictory for Mr. Peter Obi to deem the election that elected Governor Alex Otti of Abia as fair and transparent, yet claim the one he lost was fraught with irregularities. Notably, both elections were conducted by the same INEC, led by Prof. Mahmud Yakubu.
Moreover, Mr. Peter Obi should remember he's among the primary beneficiaries of the institutions he now criticizes.
“The Supreme Court reinstated his purportedly stolen mandate in 2003. Similarly, INEC managed the election that won him a second term in Anambra,” he noted.
The coalition maintained that electoral technical glitches are common globally and don't necessarily negate the results as the people's true choice.
