Even the blind can see, the deaf can hear and they know this election was manipulated’ — LP, PDP reacts to FG’s rejection of EU observer report criticizing 2023 presidential elections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), have criticized the FG for rejecting the European Union’s (EU) final report on the February 25 presidential election.

The EU Observer Mission in a statement highlighted “enduring systemic weaknesses” in the election and provided 23 recommendations for electoral reforms, emphasizing the need for transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.

On June 27, Barry Andrews, the EU chief observer, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the operational challenges and glitches experienced with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the result viewing portal.

Andrews said the discrepancies in the elections severely damaged public confidence in the electoral body.

But the Presidency in a statement on Sunday, July 20 described the EU report as a “poorly done desk job” and refuted claims of election flaws.

The Presidency criticized the EU’s data-gathering techniques and asserted that the 2023 general elections were credible and well-organized.

In response, PDP’s flagbearer in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, questioned the credibility of the election, citing delayed result uploads by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saying the FG has refused to acknowledge the truth.

Phrank Shaibu, a special assistant to Atiku, said the EU’s final report on the 2023 polls showed that the election was not a true reflection of the people’s will

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, said that the presidency’s comment is a face-saving measure.

“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 outcome of the election as a sham and an exercise that did not reflect the will of the majority of Nigerians,” Ifoh was quoted as saying.

He said the “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.”