The 2023 elections have been described as one of the most transparent in the country’s history, with major candidates recording victories and defeats.
The presidential and National Assembly polls were deemed transparent and reflective of the will of the people by the Independent Foreign Observers Mission, who also note that it was a significant improvement over previous elections held in the country.
The Independent Foreign Observers Mission, is an election monitoring group comprised of members from the United States, Europe, and a subset of Nigeria’s civil society groups.
The election outcome reflected the people’s wishes, though in a few instances, skirmishes were recorded, an interim report by the Mission said.
It added; “It was also observed that there was a grand ploy to cause tension in the polity by some politicians that the outcome of the election didn’t”.
“They have alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been compromised. However, there has not been any evidence to substantiate the claims.”
According to the mission, in the aftermath of elections, candidates are free to approach courts or election tribunals for a review of the election process in order to determine whether or not the electoral process was compromised. “This has been the tradition and should be embraced instead of seeking self-help,” the mission said.
It was reported by many sources that the elections were generally calm, though there were a few problems that slowed the final tally and transmission of results.
RN