2023 Elections: Financial Times Describes Exercise as 'Badly Flawed'

• London-based newspaper Financial Times says Nigeria’s just-concluded presidential election is “badly flawed”
• The London-based publication made its stance known in its editorial published on Thursday, March 2
• It added that Tinubu’s tally of 8.8 million in a country of 220 million people gave him the weakest of mandates

FCT, Abuja - Financial Times of London has described the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria as badly flawed.

According to the publication, the Nigerian election failed to set the example needed for West Africa, where leaders have extended term limits or resorted to seizing power through the barrel of a gun.

Part of the article read:

“The election which appears to have delivered the presidency to Bola Tinubu, a wealthy political fixer running for the incumbent All Progressives Congress — was badly mismanaged at best.

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“More worrying still was voter turnout, which was pitifully low at 27 per cent. If official results are correct, two-thirds of the 87 million people lined up for hours to collect their voter registration cards failed to cast their ballot. Apathy cannot explain it.

“Something, including the possibility of widespread voter suppression, must have prevented them from voting. The turnout of 25 million votes in a country of 220 million people is unacceptably low. Tinubu’s tally of 8.8 million gives him the weakest of mandates.”

Presidential election: Tinubu constitutes legal team to defend mandate

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Tinubu has formed a team of legal experts to protect his mandate in the recently held presidential poll.

Festus Keyamo SAN, a spokesman for the APC campaign council, made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, March 3.

He disclosed that the team included himself and several senior advocates who have expressed readiness to volunteer their services.

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2023 elections: Many polling unit results were changed, says Aisha Yesufu

On her part, a Labour Party member, Aisha Yesufu, said many results from polling units in the just-concluded presidential election were rigged.

Yesufu said that the Labour Party wants polling unit results to be compared with what the Independent National Electoral Commission uploaded on its portal.

She noted that for her party, it is not about winning but having a transparent, free, fair process that aligns with the rule of law.

Presidential election: Aso Rock chapel will be closed for four years, Okowa laments

On his part, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa says he is unhappy with the prospect that the Aso Rock chapel will be closed for four years if Tinubu is sworn-in as president.

The Peoples Democratic Party vice-presidential candidate and Delta state governor said the situation would not be the will of God.

The governor made the comment while meeting some religious leaders in Delta ahead of the governorship election in the state.

Source: Legit.ng