“How We Discredited Negative Narrative of Rigging 2023 Elections,” Lai Mohammed Speaks
- Former Information Minister Lai Mohammed has revealed the efforts by his office to counter narratives alleging rigging in the 2023 presidential election
- Mohammed, who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, highlighted the strategic efforts his office undertook to address the misconceptions that Peter Obi won the poll
- He emphasised that the evidence presented to foreign media outlets showed the APC's loss in strongholds and that opposition candidates did not meet constitutional requirements
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
FCT, Abuja - Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has narrated how his office discredited the negative narrative of rigging the 2023 presidential election.
We engaged foreign media, says Lai Mohammed
Source: Getty Images
Mohammed made this revelation in a paper presented at a spokesperson summit declared open on Tuesday, April 15, in Abuja by the incumbent Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
In a copy of the presentation obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, April 16, the former minister recalled that just before leaving office in 2023, former President Muhammadu Buhari's government was faced with allegations of rigging the presidential poll.
As reported by Vanguard, Lai Mohammed said the allegation was largely centred around the delay in uploading results to the IReVportal which, according to him, played no role in the official collation of election results.
According to Mohammed, the development was compounded by misplaced sentiments, fueled by sections of the international media that had relied on questionable pre-election opinion polls and social media noise, suggesting that the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, had won the election.
How Buhari's govt countered 2023 election rigging claims
Source: Facebook
In correcting the negative narrative, Lai Mohammed said his office opted for an evidence-based approach provided to both local and foreign media organisations and influential think tanks.
“Our goal was to present them with irrefutable facts on how the election was won and lost.
“We met with journalists and representatives from Voice of America, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy Magazine, Associated Press, BBC, The Economist, Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, Hudson Institute, U.S. Institute of Peace, Atlantic Council, and Chatham House, among others.
“To our surprise, many of these organisations were unfamiliar with Nigeria’s constitutional requirements for winning a presidential election.
“We explained that, under Chapter 6, Section 134 of the Constitution, a candidate must not only win the majority of votes but also secure at least 25% of the votes in no fewer than two-thirds of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
Mohammed added:
“Based on this, we made it clear that neither the PDP nor LP candidates had a viable path to victory.
“We presented the breakdown: the LP candidate placed a distant third, trailing the APC candidate by approximately 2.7 million votes.
“The APC candidate not only won the highest number of votes but also secured 25 percent of the vote in 29 states – well above the constitutional threshold.”
To further dispel the allegations of rigging, the former minister said they laid out compelling evidence that the APC lost in key states with high number of registered voters – Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina – even though all had APC governors.
”If the APC had manipulated the process, why would it lose in its own strongholds?”
Mohammed said that with the approach and engagements, they were able to effectively reshape the global narrative.
Read related articles here:
- Tinubu’s victory: “Contrary to observations,” INEC speaks on 2023 election results
- “We have nothing to hide”, INEC chairman speaks on outcomes from 2023 elections, reveals truth
- INEC chairman regrets declaring Tinubu winner of 2023 presidential election? Fact emerges
Has Tinubu sacked Mahmood Yakubu? INEC finally reacts
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that INEC has dismissed the claim that its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been sacked by President Bola Tinubu.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, the chief press secretary to Yakubu, in a statement on Monday, April 7, urged Nigerians to dismiss the report and that it was not true.
There has been a claim on social media that Tinubu has sacked Yakubu as INEC chairman and replaced him with Professor Bashiru Olamikan.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
Source: Legit.ng
