Politics

Atiku: EU report shows Tinubu rigged presidential election

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, says the final report of the European Union (EU) on the 2023 general election showed the presidential poll was rigged by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku said the election lacked credibility, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been unable to explain why nearly five months after the election, it has refused to upload the full result on its result viewing portal.

The former Vice President said this via a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Sunday, July 2.

Shaibu hailed the EU Election Monitoring Group for stating in its report that the 2023 general election was marred with electoral irregularities and failed to meet the minimum standard of credibility.

Atiku’s aide, who lashed out at President Tinubu’s spokesman, Dele Alake, for condemning the EU’s report, said: “Even primary school children who did not vote know that INEC failed woefully and that Tinubu rigged the last election.

“The presidential election held on February 25, 2023, and yet as of July 2, 2023, the result of the presidential election has not been fully uploaded. This is despite the fact that this election was the most expensive in the history of West Africa.

“How can an election in which the full results have not been fully uploaded after nearly five months be described as credible by any sane human being?”

Shaibu described as “nonsensical” Alake’s claim that the EU was a meddlesome interloper for discrediting the poll.

He said it was hypocritical of the Nigerian government to receive millions of dollars from the EU as election fund and then turn around to claim that the EU has no right to make comments on the election.

Atiku’s aide added: “The EU said in September last year that it budgeted 39 million euros for Nigeria’s 2023 election. Most of the funding went to INEC as election support.

“The EU not only provided training for INEC staff but also donated equipment only for INEC to conduct a shambolic poll. So why would Alake claim that the EU has no right to speak when it was the largest single donor to INEC? Mr Alake should rather be quiet rather than try to defend the indefensible.”

He stressed that the results in states like Rivers showed that the election was far from credible, adding that it was tragic that Tinubu was planning on rewarding former Governor Nyesom Wike with a ministerial portfolio despite the accusations of rigging levelled against him as well as a pending petition against the former governor which has attracted nearly 300,000 votes.

Shaibu added: “The report of European Union Election Observation Team like all other reports on the 2023 Presidential Election is not different from the facts our legal team led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN have placed before their lordships at the Presidential Elections Petitions Court.

“We are encouraged by the presence of the manifold brave and audacious men and women of the Bench in our judiciary. We know that, very soon, those distinguished and imperial dispensers of justice in our present day judiciary shall deliver a judgment that will be pure as the driven snow and not tainted by gravies and or bullied by coercion from characters with iniquitous power.”

The Star