‘Stop the face-saving measure’ – LP fires presidency for dismissing EU report on 2023 polls

The Labour Party (LP) has berated the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for dismissing the report of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on the 2023 elections.

Naija News recalls that on June 27, 2023, the EU EOM presented its report on the 2023 elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In its final report on the elections, the EU Chief PObserver, Barry Andrews, said that its trust in INEC had been severely damaged, mainly due to the failure to upload the result of the presidential election electronically.

The EU noted that the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and signalled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.

But in a statement on Sunday by the presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, the Presidency dismissed the report by the EU, describing it as a poorly-done desk job that relied more on rumours, gossip, and cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries.

However, reacting to the development in a statement on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said it was unsurprising that the Presidency rejected the EU report.

Iboh noted that the EU’s report is only one of the numerous submissions by other international Observers who have said the 2023 election did not reflect the will of most Nigerians.

The LP spokesman, however, described the Presidency’s comment as a face-saving measure, adding that the opposition party stands by the position of the EU on the 2023 polls.

He said: “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 election outcome as a sham and an exercise that did not reflect the will of the majority of Nigerians.

“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. 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.

“The huge pieces of evidence are abound for even the deaf and the blind to hear, feel and that the party is only hoping that the judiciary will dispense justice without fear or favour in the interest of the nation and posterity.

“Nigerians already know the true winner of the 2023 presidential election, and no amount of slandering, denial, or rebuttal can change the fact that the party in power has no mandate of the electorate.

“We must also note that whatever position the INEC has taken is with active connivance with the Federal Government to deny the electorate, and it clearly shows that INEC is not in any way independent. The commission’s action is at the whims and caprices of the government and we know it. But Nigerians are looking to the Judiciary for justice. That’s where we stand.”