A coalition of civil society organizations under the auspices of Middle-Belt Pan Nigerian Forum has urged the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to respect the outcome of the 2023 general elections and move on.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Dr. Danladi Ceceko, the coalition asserted that the election results, which saw the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), reflected the wishes of the Nigerian people.
“It is evident for all to see that the 2023 general elections, especially the presidential poll, were among the freest and most transparent in our history,” Dr. Ceceko said. “The outcome, upheld by the Supreme Court, is a true representation of the will of Nigerians, and it is time for all participants to accept the results and move forward.”
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The coalition expressed disappointment with Obi’s critique of the electoral process, accusing him of undermining the country’s institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Supreme Court.
“It is quite unfortunate that Mr. Peter Obi would discredit our institutions like INEC and the Supreme Court, which validated the credible elections conducted by INEC,” the spokesman said.
“It is evident that the political elite who frequently malign the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are often the same ones who oversee the worst elections in the country through the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs),” he said.
The coalition also challenged Obi’s comparison of the Nigerian electoral process to that of South Africa, noting that the South African election was not without its own challenges and technical glitches, with 579 petitions submitted against it and 20 political parties rejecting the result as widely reported by international media outlets.
“We really need Mr. Peter Obi to do his due diligence and research before comparing INEC to other countries’ electoral bodies,” Dr. Ceceko said. “The South African election also experienced technical glitches, which were well-documented.”
The coalition urged Nigerians to respect their institutions and work together to improve the electoral process, rather than disparaging them.
