‘Face-saving measure’ — LP reacts to FG’s dismissal of EU election report

The Labour Party (LP) has reacted to the federal government’s dismissal of a report by the European Union (EU) election observation mission on the just-concluded general election. 

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 in a statement on Sunday, the federal government dismissed the report, describing it as “a poorly-done desk job”.

Reacting, Obiora Ifoh, LP national publicity secretary, described the federal government’s statement as a “face-saving measure”.

“The leadership of the Labour Party has noted with dismay the statement by the federal government discrediting the European Union’s conclusion on the 2023 general election wherein it faulted the modalities by which the conclusion was reached,” the statement reads.

“We see this face-saving measure by the federal government which is coming days after the submission of the report as feeble and medicine after death.

“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.

“Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission.”

Ifoh added that the action of the federal government is an attempt to “mask the obvious”.