The Federal Government of Nigeria has replied former president Olusegun Obasanjo asking him to allow the ongoing announcement of the presidential election be concluded.
This was conveyed in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, is requesting the former president to exercise patient following his conclusion that Saturday’s elections which were marred with irregularities should be rescheduled.
The minister accused Obasanjo of presiding over the worst elections since Nigeria returned to Democracy in 1999 adding that the former president is not in the position to counsel President Muhammadu Buhari on elections.
“Though masquerading as an unbiased and concerned elder statesman, former President Obasanjo is, in reality, a known partisan who is bent on thwarting, by subterfuge, the choice of millions of Nigerian voters,” he said.
“As the whole nation waits with bated breath for the result of last Saturday’s national elections, amid unnecessary tension created by professional complainants and political jesters, what is expected from a self-respecting elder statesman are words and actions that douse tension and serve as a soothing balm.
“Instead, former President Obasanjo used his unsolicited letter to insinuate, or perhaps wish for, an inconclusive election and a descent into anarchy; used his time to cast aspersion on electoral officials who are unable to defend themselves, while surreptitiously seeking to dress his personal choice in the garb of the people’s choice. This is duplicitous.
“With a deployment of over 1,265,227 electoral officials, the infusion of technology to enhance the electoral process, and the logistical nightmare of sending election materials across our vast country, INEC seems to be availing itself creditably, going by the preliminary reports of the ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission and the Commonwealth Observer Group, among other groups that observed the election.
“Therefore, those arrogating to themselves the power to cancel an election and unilaterally fix a date for a new one, ostensibly to ameliorate perceived electoral infractions, should please exercise restraint and allow the official electoral body to conclude its duty by announcing the results of the 2023 national elections.”
Recall during the announcement of the results on Monday in Abuja, Dino Melaye, a representative of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alongside members from Labour Party (LP) and other parties walked out after insisting that results uploaded to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be displayed before the exercise could continue.
The minister said anyone who is aggrieved with the election results should approach the tribunal.
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