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Retired Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that the Nigerian election was largely conducted under the cloud of violence in a number of states.
Speaking on Monday, Uhuru, however, urged Nigerian citizens to exercise patience and maintain peace as the country awaits the declaration of the presidential results.
Uhuru, who served as the head of the African Union Election Observers Mission (AUEOM), made the revelation in the first preliminary report.
“The election took place amidst general insecurity in the Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southsouth geo-political zones,” Uhuru stated.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta leading an African Union Election Mission in Nigeria on Tuesday February 21, 2023.
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AUEOM asked dissatisfied candidates and citizens to consider going to court instead of resorting to street fights like what was witnessed during and after the election.
“The mission noted that the insecurity issue presented a challenge to the conduct of the elections as noted on the attack on the Inec offices, personnel, and materials before the election,” Uhuru stated.
At the press conference that was conducted on Monday, February 27, both AUEOM and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) missions warned that violence being witnessed in the country could easily spiral into mayhem.
Uhuru asked the 18 Presidential Candidates to talk to their supporters and urge them to calm down even as the country continues with the electoral process.
ECOWAS mission was led by former President of Sierra Leone Bai Koroma who confirmed Uhuru’s observations, noting that the preliminary statements reflect the mission’s findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders in the electoral process.
Multiple reports show that opposition parties on Monday walked out of the venue where results from the tightly contested presidential elections are being announced.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party alleged that there was a lack of transparency in the new electronic voting system.
However, Inec chairman Mahmood Yakubu dismissed the accusations and announced that the electoral process would continue unabated.
The Nigerian electoral technology was for the first time used to accredit voters based on their choices at the ballot box.
All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate Bola Tinubu commanded an early lead of around 40 per cent of the votes cast.
Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 38 per cent of the votes that had been counted.
While Peter Obi of the Labour Party mounted a strong challenge to the two-party system. All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had dominated Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999.
Obi was seen to have had the support of many young people, who make up a third of registered voters.
As of Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Inec chairman Mahmood Yakubu announced that only a third of the 36 states officially declared their results.
File photo of Nigerian political leader Peter Obi during a past political gathering.
Nigerian Guardian
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