In a recent statement, President Bola Tinubu expressed his strong disagreement with the final report of the European Union’s Electoral Observer Mission on the 2023 general elections. The President labeled the report as a product of a poorly executed desk job, heavily reliant on a limited number of observers’ views.

The statement, delivered by Mr. Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, vehemently rejected the EU’s conclusions on the electoral process. President Tinubu cited praise from reputable bodies such as the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in support of the elections’ credibility and outcome.

The President highlighted earlier warnings of attempts to discredit the elections by foreign institutions and expressed concern over the EU’s insistence on their own assessment criteria. The statement emphasized that the 2023 general elections, particularly the presidential election, were deemed credible, peaceful, free, fair, and the best organized in Nigeria since 1999.

Regarding the EU’s report, the statement challenged the validity of its findings, given the limited coverage by EU observers and their apparent reliance on social media commentaries and opposition viewpoints. The President asserted that the report failed to present substantial evidence to impeach the integrity of the election outcomes.

Moreover, the statement pointed to alternative assessments from non-partisan observers like the African Union, ECOWAS, Commonwealth Observer Mission, and the Nigerian Bar Association. The NBA’s report, which included over 1,000 observers spread across the country, indicated that 91.8% of Nigerians viewed the conduct of the national and state elections as credible and satisfactory.

President Tinubu’s administration appears focused on nation-building and driving socio-economic reforms, with the President receiving support for his decisive leadership in his first month in office. The statement concluded by urging foreign interests, including the EU, to remain objective in their assessments of Nigeria’s internal affairs and to allow the nation to move forward.