The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) accepted the final report of the European Union Observation Mission (EU-EOM) concerning the presidential election held on February 25.
The report was presented as evidence by Dr. Lawrence Bayode, a witness from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the cross-examination conducted by Chief Chris Uche, the legal representative of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Despite strong objections, the court decided to admit the report. Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) commended the report, stating that it would contribute to the advancement of democracy in the country.
In a statement signed by James Ezema, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, the CNPP noted that those who oppose the report are motivated by their own political interests and preferences.
Recall that the Presidency, in a statement issued by Dele Alake, Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, had said it “strongly rejects, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent.”
The Presidency berated the EU, saying the organisation merely relied on prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries and opposition talking heads to arrive at its conclusions. It added that the body failed to provide substantial evidence to impeach integrity of the election outcome.
But CNPP said: “The EU election observation report was a sincere, unbiased, impartial and factual report that will deepen Nigeria’s democracy, especially when the recommendations are taken in good faith.”
It explained: “In the first place, the international body was invited by the Federal Government to observe the 2023 general elections. Government is a continuum, and if the EU Mission was not expected to provide useful report on the elections, why did the All Progressives Congress government invite them?
“Moreover, the EU has been contributing to development of Nigeria’s democratic process over the years, through support and grants to both government agencies and civil society organisations.
“If they were not accused of bias while they were supporting our electoral system all these years, why should their report on the 2023 general elections be tagged partial?”
CNPP added that it expected President Bola Tinubu to “receive the report, study it, and find ways to address issues the EU-EOM raised to prevent future occurrences.”
The dismissal of the report by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government has raised concerns, as expressed by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), a civil society election observation organization.
TMG’s chairman, Auwal Musa Rasfanjani, stated that local observers and civil society groups have also voiced similar apprehensions regarding deficiencies in the electoral process.
He said: “The recommendations by the European Union align with views of many civil society groups and local observers. It is imperative that the government and INEC review those recommendations and work towards addressing gaps in the electoral processes, to make our electoral system more transparent, accountable and participatory, to restore confidence in the process.”
TMG urged Tinubu to “take courage and admit to shortcomings with the electoral process, which is evident by violence and several election petitions going on in the country and reduction in Nigerians’ participation in the polls. He should emulate the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua who admitted that there were gaps in his election and committed to reform the electoral system. Therefore, TMG urges President Tinubu to ensure effective reform.”
