The Federal Government of Nigeria has vehemently rejected the report of the European Union Elections Observation Mission (EU-EOM) on the 2023 general elections held in the country. In a statement issued by Mr. Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, the government has accused the EU-EOM of attempting to discredit the election results, particularly the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the presidential election. According to Alake, the government had previously warned about the plan of a continental multi-lateral institution to undermine the credibility of the elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While the statement did not explicitly mention the name of the organization, it emphasized the relentless assault on the electoral process and the sovereignty of Nigeria by this foreign institution. Alake described the submission of the organization's report as a reflection of the EU's biased agenda to sustain its unfounded claims and prejudice against the election outcomes. He strongly asserted that the 2023 general elections, especially the presidential election won by Tinubu, were not only credible and fair but also the best-organized elections in Nigeria since the return of democratic rule in 1999. Alake further challenged the EU to provide substantial evidence that could impeach the integrity of the election results, emphasizing that the limited coverage and reliance on rumors, hearsay, social media commentaries, and opposition narratives by the EU observers raise questions about the validity of their conclusions. The government's rejection of the EU report aligns with the validation of the election's transparency and organization by non-partisan foreign and local observers, including the African Union, ECOWAS, Commonwealth Observer Mission, and the Nigerian Bar Association. Alake highlighted that the Nigerian Bar Association's report, based on over 1000 observers deployed across the country, provided a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of the elections, with 91.8% of Nigerians rating the conduct of the national and state elections as credible and satisfactory. He also pointed out that the INEC, through its National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, has defended the integrity of the election, rejecting the false narratives presented in the EU report. Alake concluded the statement by urging the EU and other foreign interests to maintain objectivity in their assessments of Nigeria's internal affairs and allow the country to progress freely. As the government focuses on nation-building, it expects those with grievances to seek redress through the appropriate legal channels, while Nigeria moves forward under the decisive leadership of President Tinubu towards fiscal sustainability and socio-economic reforms.
