A Tale Of Two Elections: US 2020; Nigeria 2023—Were They Both Rigged? -By Omolola Roseline Pedro

Lagos—When it comes to election controversies, Nigeria and the United States aren’t necessarily an ocean apart nor Third World vs First World, but possibly “kissing cousins.”

In both nations, the state agencies entrusted to administer fair elections patted themselves on the shoulder afterwards — despite howls of accusation that echo today.

Within days of the announced result of the Nov. 3, 2020, Presidential election in the United States, the U.S Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency endorsed it as “the most secure in American history.” The same conclusion was echoed by Trump’s own Attorney Gen. William Barr.

But the contrary conclusion dropped like “the other shoe” with a thud.

President Donald Trump cried foul on Nov. 4, backed by a bevy of right-wing media opinion anchors. A mass demonstration in Washington, D.C, on January 6, 2021, was historic. Documentary filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza in his film 2000 Mules claimed to expose powerful evidence of colossal vote rigging through mailed in ballots and malfeasance by ballot collectors called “Mules.” https://libertysentinel.org/election-whores-of-the-democrat-party.

In Nigeria, the protests following the presidential election of Feb. 25, 2023, were massive and traumatic. Hundreds of outraged women even marched in full nudity in Nasarawa State and in Abuja to register abject horror. The election result is being challenged in court in Abuja.

Nigeria’s Election Handling Condemned by EU Observers

The federal government of Nigeria got a stinging rebuke from the European Union elections observers report, delivering its recommendations in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on June 27. The EU team said Nigeria’s presidential elections on Feb. 25 and gubernatorial elections on March 18 were flawed by hitches that scuttled public trust in the electoral process and urged basic reforms that might restore transparency and accountability. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerias-elections-eroded-public-trust-voting-eu-observers-2023-06-28/

The report faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the operational challenges and technical glitches experienced with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), according to the Chief Observer of the EU mission, Barry Andrews. The BVAS upload and viewing portal severely betrayed the confidence the people have in the electoral body, Andrews wrote.

The Nigerian government \ fired back that the EU accusations were “unverified news, rumors” and social media complaints welling up from the losing parties in a statement issued on Sunday, 2nd of July 2023, by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake.

“For emphasis, we want to reiterate that the 2023 general elections, most especially the presidential election, won by President Bola Tinubu/All Progressives Congress, were credible, peaceful, free, fair and the best organized general elections in Nigeria since 1999, Alake wrote.

“We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organization, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent,” he said.

The Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the federal government’s statement as a “face-saving measure,” while also declaring its acceptance of the EU report.

“We see this face-saving measure by the federal government as feeble and medicine after death. The Labour Party stands by the position of the EU observation mission,” Ifoh said.

The Publicity Secretary of the African Action Congress (AAC), Femi Adeyeye told Truth Nigeria that the Presidential candidate of the AAC, Omoyele Sowore had earlier issued warnings to Nigerians that election 2023 would be rigged.

“The 2023 elections as we have stated in our widely-circulated positions fell short of a free and fair election and even INEC broke its own rules,” Adeyeye said.

“The inhumane policies introduced by the federal government further added to the woes of Nigerians, as citizens were disenfranchised, against their will.” Adeyeye added.

“To start with, less than 27 percent of the voting population tried to exercise their franchise in the election, a decline from the 2019 elections. This must have been due to various economic (cash scarcity, petrol unavailability) and political woes, chief of which still remains the total discontent with the electoral system as it is presently configured. The EU report should have included how tribal and religious politics was played by conscienceless candidates. It should have included how supporters of different candidates were intimidated at their polling units,” Adeyeye, the Sowore spokesman added.

The spokesman for presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Prank Shaibu, applauded the EU’s final report on the elections of 2023, arguing that the results of the election were not a reflection of the desire of Nigerians who flocked to the polls to cast their ballots.

Shaibu said: “Even primary school children who did not vote know that INEC failed woefully, and that Tinubu rigged the last election, Shaibu reportedly said. “ The presidential election was held on February 25, 2023, and yet as of July 2, 2023, the result of the election has not been fully uploaded. This is despite the fact that this election was the most expensive in the history of West African politics.

“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 said.

Nigerian Election Admins in Court Facing Challenges

International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe. Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Ogebe.
Since the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, opposition parties have approached the Presidential Election Petition Court [PEPC] with petitions, calling for a review of the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Reacting to the last sitting of the PEPC, an International human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, described the election trial as a “pitiful case.”

“I conclude with two thoughts – the election trial is a pitiful case where citizens are essentially suing the government for criminal and corrupt conduct. Usually, it should be the role of the state to hold citizens accountable but in Nigeria, government is essentially organized crime, and the reverse is the case (more so even given the current surreality)”

He added that the society is suffering from double standards, while referring to the case of an alleged forged result by a teenager.

“However, even more sadly are the double standards in our society – A young girl is in trouble for alleged examination malpractice linked to a result via compromise of a government-admission website. Meanwhile, an old man is in the presidency despite election malpractice, fake certificates and results and compromise of a government-election website (INEC portal).

While DSS [Department of State Services] is investigating the teenager, DSS are protecting the alleged septuagenarian, Ogebe wrote in a recent column.

“The teenager has been banned from further admission exams for three years with her employability and reputation ruined in perpetuity, but the self-proclaimed Septuagenarian is assured of eight years in office, if the current travesty is left to stand, and riches in perpetuity thereafter.

In Nigeria, the scale of criminality comes with inbuilt immunity and impunity ‘pro max’ as the youth nowadays say.”

Meanwhile, the PEPC, on Tuesday 4th of July 2023, has admitted the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the EU mission report as an exhibit.

Omolola Roseline Pedro is a Lagos-based independent writer who covers politics for Truth Nigeria.