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The oppositions Labour Party, and the Peoples Democratic Party, have disagreed with the United State's 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices that the 2023 election reflected the will of Nigerians, despite the irregularities.
Whereas, the All Progressives Congress and the Presidency hailed the reports validation.
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 stated that the last general elections in Nigeria reflected the will of the populace, despite widespread irregularities.
According to the report, “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.
It said there was no evidence that individuals who perpetrated violence in Lagos during the election were arrested or prosecuted.
The PDP as well as the LP said they remain committed to democracy.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said, “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.”
Speaking in a similar vein, his counterpart in the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, 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.
“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.”
On its part, the ruling APC said while it welcomed the report, it does not need any external validation in that regard.
Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru, said the party had since moved on, concentrating on developing Nigeria’s electoral democracy.
He said: “It (report) is a welcome development but I want to restate that we do not need any external validation on the outcome of the 2023 general election.
‘’That election, as far as the party is concerned and as far as the people of Nigeria are concerned, is now behind us and we are looking forward to the 2027 general election.
Speaking in like manner, the Presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said INEC “conducted a free and fair election.’’
His words: “INEC conducted a free and fair election. We don’t need any foreign country to validate or make our election free and fair.”
