- Despite questioning the veracity of the report’s assertions, the two opposition parties reaffirmed their commitment to the growth of democracy in Nigeria
Nigeria’s leading opposition parties, Labour Party, LP, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the United States’ assertion that the 2023 general elections reflected the will of the people.
The United States 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices had asserted that despite pervasive irregularities, intimidation and violence that characterised the polls, the electoral choices of the people was not subverted during the polls.
The report published by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, US Department of State, highlighted human rights practices and violations in different countries, including Nigeria.
It said the last general elections in Nigeria reflected the general consensus of the populace, despite widespread irregularities.
“National elections were widely reported to have reflected the will of voters, despite technical and logistical difficulties, and some irregularities.
“Many independent observers who assessed the results of the presidential, legislative, and state-level elections during the year reflected the will of voters despite reports of voter suppression and vote-buying, campaigning at polling stations, lack of ballot secrecy, violence, and intimidation,” the report says.
Reacting to the report, two main opposition political parties, the PDP and the LP, wondered how the report arrived at its conclusion on the outcome of the election.
Despite questioning the veracity of the report’s assertions, the two opposition parties reaffirmed their commitment to the growth of democracy in Nigeria, despite its shortcomings
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said his party would do everything to make sure Nigeria does not slip into dictatorship and one-party state.
“I am yet to read the report but one thing we, as a party, can assure Nigerians is that we remain committed to the advancement of democracy in our country.
“We are also committed to ensuring that our country does not become a one-party state or slide into dictatorship.” he told vanguard
Speaking in a similar vein, his counterpart in the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said it is pleasing to see that the report attested to the widespread violence and electoral malpractices that marred the election.
He said “With all said and done, we take solace in the fact that the report was fair enough to admit that there were irregularities, including but not limited to vote buying, ballot box snatching, intimidation and physical attacks on our party supporters, especially in Lagos.
“The report was magnanimous enough to note that supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, suppressed votes in areas dominated by our supporters during the March 2023 governorship election in Lagos.
“To say the outcome of such an election reflects the majority view of Nigerians is left for the people to judge. Our commitment to the development of democracy in Nigeria remains unshakable.”