2023 Polls: EU Mission’s Report Shows Tinubu Rigged Election, Says Atiku’s Aide
- Phrank Shaibu, a media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has lauded the post-election report of the European Union (EU)
- Shaibu, in a statement issued on Sunday, June 2, also slammed the federal government for berating the report
- He urged the United States and the United Kingdom to hasten the process of a visa ban on perpetrators of electoral fraud and disruptors of democracy
FCT, Abuja - A few hours after the federal government had criticised the post-election findings of the European Union (EU) Election Monitoring Group, Phrank Shaibu, the special assistant on public communication to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer, Atiku Abubakar, hailed the report of the foreign observers.
In a statement obtained by Legit.ng on Sunday, June 2, Shaibu slammed President Bola Tinubu and his cohorts for criticising the report of the EU.
Source: Facebook
He stated that the election had no ounce of credibility, referencing the inability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain why it did not upload the election results.
Shaibu said:
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“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 slams Alake's submission on EU's report
Shaibu described Alake’s nonsensical 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 comment on the election.
He said:
“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?"
He further referenced the outcome of the presidential polls in Rivers state as a pointer that the election lacked credibility, as claimed by the federal government and INEC.
As contained in the statement, Atiku's spokesperson disclosed plans to reward the ex-governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, with a ministerial appointment for his role in ensuring Tinubu's victory in the Niger Delta state.
Shaibu said:
“Tinubu is now on the verge of appointing Wike as a minister as a reward for that disgraceful election. What a shame. And this is the character who claimed to have fought for the actualisation of June 12?”
Electoral malpractice: US, UK urged to speed up visa ban process
Meanwhile, Shaibu has appealed to the United States and the United Kingdom to hasten its visa ban process on perpetrators of electoral fraud and violence in the last general election.
He, however, appealed that the faces and names of these offenders should be made public.
Shaibu said that members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (AP) and staff of INEC enlisted for the visa ban should be made known to the public.
FG rejects EU mission's report on 2023 elections
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government of Nigeria had rejected the final report of the European Union (EU) election observation mission on the 2023 polls, describing it as a poorly-done desk job.
The government criticised the "limited coverage" of the EU mission and stated that the report relied on rumours, social media commentaries, and opposition statements.
Presidential spokesperson Dele Alake said the 2023 elections were credible, peaceful, and the best organised since 1999.
Source: Legit.ng
