PDP, Labour Party, others slam FG over rejection of EU report on 2023 election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and other political parties have slammed the Federal Government for rejecting the European Union’s (EU) final report on the February 25 presidential election.

The EU Observer Mission had highlighted “enduring systemic weaknesses” in the election, which the PDP and LP claim was not credible.

However, the Presidency described the EU report as a “poorly done desk job” and refuted claims of election flaws.

The Presidency in a statement issued by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake rejected the EU’s verdict on the election which saw the emergence of President Bola Tinubu as the winner.

While reacting, the PDP’s candidate during the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, accused the FG of failing to acknowledge the truth.

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the presidential poll, citing delayed result uploads by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP flagbearer in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, said the EU’s final report on the 2023 polls showed that the outcome of the election was not a true reflection of the people’s will.

“It is hypocritical for the Federal Government to receive support from the EU for the elections and discard its findings because it is not in their favour,” Shaibu stated.

In the same vein, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said that the presidency’s comment is a face-saving measure.

“It will interest the government to note that the European Union’s report is only one out of numerous submissions by other international Observers who have described the outcome of the election as a sham and an exercise that did not reflect the will of the majority of Nigerians,” Ifoh was quoted by the Daily Trust as saying.

According to him, the Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission.

“We have always said that this election was massively rigged in favour of the APC and their candidate,” he added.

“What the FG is saying is just an afterthought and a shameless effort to mask the obvious. Even the blind can see, the deaf can hear and they know this election was manipulated,” Ifoh said.

While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) defended the credibility of the elections, the EU report was seen as an opportunity for improvement rather than an indictment.

That is after the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in the country was mentioned, adding complexity to the opposition’s response to the EU assessment.

The LP flagbearer, Peter Obi and his counterpart, Atiku of the PDP are challenging INEC’s declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25th presidential election.