Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has harshly criticized the European Union (EU) for its report on the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, claiming it misrepresents the results of the most recent election that took place there.
Wike expressed his displeasure when Samuela Isopi, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, paid him a visit in his office on Monday. He claimed that the report had given the electorate, particularly in his home state of Rivers State, the wrong impression.
According to the Minister, the EU’s role during the most recent elections was to act as an observer and not to produce a report that did not accurately represent Nigerian democracy.
Remember that the European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM), led by chief observer Barry Andre, presented its final report on the general election of 2023 in June and identified six priority areas with recommendations.
However, Wike asserted that due to the disparity in their environments, Nigerian laws and EU laws cannot be identical.
“I did not concur with the European Union’s assessment of the Nigerian elections in the most recent report. They are to be watchful. Nigerian laws and EU laws cannot be the same because of the differences in their respective environments.
“The EU’s report and what actually happened in Rivers State were different. How can those who support democracy and uphold it be portrayed as lacking in understanding of it?
“How to improve the economy should be our main concern. To do this, the Federal Capital Territory and the entire nation must work together and settle on specific development areas. No matter the area, foreign partners should be concerned with strategic development, he said.
In response, Samuela Isopi, the ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, stated that the report was created by unbiased observers and has nothing to do with her activities.
She reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to collaborating with the Minister to advance development both within and outside of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
