From Fred Itua, Abuja
European Union (EU), yesterday, came under fire over its report on the 2023 Nigerian presidential elections.
The reprimand came from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who described it as false and inaccurate.
He said the report did not give the true position of the last elections in the country, but created a wrong impression in the minds of electorate, especially in Rivers State.
Wike aired his dissatisfaction when the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, paid him a visit in his office in Abuja. The minister said EU was supposed to serve as an observer during the last elections and not to present a report that would not give the true picture of Nigerian democracy.
EU Election Observation Mission (EUEOM), through the Chief Observer, Barry Andres, had, in June, presented its final report on the last Nigerian general election, and highlighted six priority areas with recommendations.
Wike, however, said Nigerian laws cannot be the same with that of the EU because they have different environment.
He said: “I didn’t agree with European Union over the last report on election in Nigeria. They are to observe, Nigerian laws can’t be the same with EU laws because they have different environment.
“In Rivers State, the EU’s report was different from what transpired there. How can people that believe in democracy and practice it, be portray as people that don’t understand democracy?
“Our concern should be how to make the economy grow better, we have to corporate and agree on specific areas of development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the entire country.
“Foreign partners should be concerned on strategic development irrespective of the areas.”
Responding, Isopi said the report was put together by an independent observers group and had nothing to do with her own operations.
She pledged the union’s commitment to work with the minister to boost development in FCT and beyond.