How South Africa’s Transparent Election Is A Stark Contrast To Nigeria’s Electoral Process – Peter Obi
Following the conclusion of South Africa’s election, where the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), lost its majority for the first time in 30 years, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, lamented that South Africa’s free and transparent election was a stark contrast to what he called “the show of shame that the giant of Africa, Nigeria, gave the world” last year.
The former Governor of Anambra State claimed the outcome of the election in South Africa “remains a shining example of what a transparent and efficient democratic electoral process should look like.”
“With about 60% Voter turnout, over 90% of polling open on time, allowing diaspora voting, the results and updates were real-time without any form of technical glitches during the election,” Obi said on Saturday, June 8, 2024. “This demonstrated the robustness and transparency of their system. The seamless online dissemination of results further highlights their commitment to democratic principles and technological advancement.”
Obi claimed that in contrast, Nigeria’s 2023 election lacked transparency and was marked with widespread allegations of fraud and irregularities.
“This is in stark contrast, to the show of shame that the giant of Africa, Nigeria, gave the World in 2023. Nigeria’s 2023, with less than 30% of the Voter turnout and over 60% of the polling stations starting late, no diaspora voting, the elections were plagued by allegations of fraud and widespread irregularities, all forms of glitches, despite an enormous expenditure to the tune of about a billion dollars (direct allocation of =N=313 Billion and donor agencies supports),” Obi said.
Calling for a comprehensive electoral reforms to ensure that future elections in Nigeria are free, fair, and credible, Obi said, “We must learn from South Africa’s example and strive to build a system that restores the people’s faith in our democracy.”
“The time for action is now, and we cannot afford to delay any longer in addressing these critical issues for a new Nigeria is POssible!” Obi concluded.
