According to the final report of European Union observers, the electoral proceedings in Nigeria earlier this year were plagued by a series of issues that significantly undermined public confidence. Consequently, the report strongly advocates for comprehensive reforms aimed at bolstering transparency and accountability within the electoral system.
The outcome of the February election, which is currently being contested in court by President Bola Tinubu’s primary opponents, resulted in his victory despite the ongoing dispute surrounding it.
The EU mission highlighted six priority areas for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enhance, including clarifying electoral law, improving real-time publication and access to election results, and cracking down on electoral offenses.
The February election witnessed the lowest voter turnout since the transition from military rule in 1999.
When approached for comment, the INEC was unavailable to respond immediately. However, an INEC spokesperson, in an interview with local TV, expressed that the EU mission report was deemed “unfair.” The spokesperson further attributed the delay in uploading the presidential election results to a technical glitch within the INEC’s system.