The Presidency, Tuesday, insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari won the February 23, 2019 presidential elections with a clear margin.
The Presidency also defended the suspension of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen by Buhari over the controversy surrounding his Asset Declaration Form before the last general elections
Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in a statement expressed reservations over 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.
Shehu said it was indisputable that President Buhari defeated his main opponent Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) with a margin of 14 percent.
Atiku and his party are in court challenging the outcome of the election.
Garba in the statement however explained that “It is instructive that President Buhari clearly won this vote and the report in no way disputes that fundamental fact. President Buhari won by almost 4 million majority, with a 14 per cent margin.”
According to him, the most important thing in an election is that it reflects the will of the people which in the 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.
The presidential aide continued that “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.”
Garba noted that ”To pretend otherwise is wrong considering that in 2015, the INEC postponed the election by six weeks under a PDP President, whom – as an incumbent – it was said to help at the time. It didn’t make a difference. Similarly, neither did it aid the sitting President in 2019.
“It is amazing that the electoral observers recommended that electoral laws are enforced, and perpetrators of crimes punished and at the same time implicitly criticise the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria for failing to disclose his assets as required by law. Which would they prefer?
“The law is a matter of principle that takes its course regardless of time and circumstances. It is never a matter of convenience and indeed remains functional, operational and enforceable without due regard to the electioneering process.
“As we have already said, we are committed to reviewing our electoral laws and processes, like every democracy across the world should,” he stressed.
He explained that the Federal Government intends to build on the innovations of the 2019 election that facilitate inclusiveness and participation, such as providing braille for blind people to cast their votes among other innovations.
Buhari’s spokesman also said the 2019 presidential election was won by the candidate who received the most votes.
“We value the report’s recommendations. We can assure they shall be assessed and evaluated,” the statement added.
