Buhari explodes over report questioning his victory over Atiku

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President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the joint report of the International Republic Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and recommendations for the 2023 general elections.

A statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said it was instructive that President Buhari clearly won the votes and the report in no way disputed that fundamental fact.

It said President Buhari won by almost 4 million majority, with a 14% margin over the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

“However, the most important thing in an election is that it reflects the will of the people which in our circumstances was acknowledged to have been a success by ECOWAS Observer Mission and YIAGA AFRICA whose parallel vote tabulation verified INEC’s presidential election result as announced. This we achieved.

“We have developed a tradition of improvements in our electoral process through enforcement of our electoral law which resulted in the prosecution and conviction of electoral officers that were found wanting in compromising our electoral process.

“We, however, agree notwithstanding, that there are improvements that must be made in the process for the future. The sheer size, terrain and remoteness of certain regions do pose serious logistical challenges.

“They also pose a problem for electoral observers: across a country of over 190 million, only 40 observers were deployed to observe just 16 states + the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria has 36 states).

“It was unfortunate that the election was postponed yet imagine if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had gone ahead unprepared. The delay undoubtedly resulted in a lower turnout.

“Because they are registered to vote in their place of birth, and not where they live, many Nigerians could not make arrangements to travel back again.

*But the fact still remains that major democracies of the world have equally recorded worst turnout in modern history.

“The effect of voter turnout, at any rate, is a two-way traffic that affected both sides equally.