The Labour Party presidential candidate for 2023 polls, Peter Obi, described Nigeria’s 2023 polls as “shameful” and praised South Africa’s election as a shining example.
In a series of posts on his X page, Obi emphasized that the election was plagued by glitches despite the substantial funds spent on conducting the exercise.
“Nigeria’s 2023 election, with less than 30% of Voter turnout, over 60% of the polling stations starting late, and no diaspora voting, the elections were plagued by allegations of fraud and widespread irregularities, all forms of glitches, despite an enormous expenditure to the tune of about a billion dollars (direct allocation of =N=313 Billion and donor agencies support),” he said.
the elections were plagued by allegations of fraud and widespread irregularities, all forms of glitches, despite an enormous expenditure to the tune of about a billion dollars (direct allocation of =N=313 Billion and donor agencies supports)
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) June 8, 2024
The former Anambra State governor compared Nigeria’s last general election to the recently conduct South African poll which he described as transparent and seamless.
To the LP candidate, the differences between the two countries’ electoral processes are lamentable.
“The outcome of the recent South African election results remains a shining example of what a transparent and efficient democratic electoral process should look like.
“With about 60% Voter turnout, over 90% of polling open on time, allowing diaspora voting, the results and updates were real-time without any form of technical glitches during the election.
“This demonstrated the robustness and transparency of their system. The seamless online dissemination of results further highlights their commitment to democratic principles and technological advancement. This is in stark contrast, to the show of shame that the giant of Africa, Nigeria, gave the World in 2023.”
According to Obi, the controversy trailing the nation’s electoral process is a painful reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with democratic governance.
He called for urgent comprehensive electoral reforms and for the establishment of a system that would restore the people’s faith in the country’s democracy.