Saturday’s Polls Reflected The Will of the People—Voters Awareness Initiative

By Adedapo Adesanya

An accredited election observer organization for the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections, Voters Awareness Initiative (VAI), has congratulated and commended Nigerians for the peaceful and credible conduct of the elections, saying the polls reflected the will of the people and is a victory for democracy.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, March 2, 2023, jointly signed by its president, Mr Wale Ogunade, and its director of media and mobilization, Mr Nelson Ekujumi, the group said, “We are proud and delighted with the peaceful, credible and successful conduct of the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections in which the outcome reflected the will of the people and is a victory for democracy.”

The group stated that, “We deployed over 100 accredited election observers, monitored reports of other observer organizations as well as the media for situation reports in the conduct of the elections in 176,606 polling stations across the 36 states and the federal capital territory, Abuja and can confidently report that the electoral process was duly complied with by the electoral umpire at the polling stations and at the different stages of the collation of results in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, at variance with the campaign of lies, falsehood, misinformation, blackmail and calumny against the electoral umpire.”

VAI specifically commended INEC for its professionalism, objectivity, and dogged commitment to the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the elections, even in the face of unwarranted and unprovoked attacks, lies, falsehood, misinformation, a campaign of blackmail, and calumny.

According to VAI, “We are indeed proud and commend INEC for the professional and unbiased discharge of its responsibility in line with the provisions of the constitution and global best practices.”

The group commended the Nigerian electorate for coming out to vote on election day “even in the face of excruciating economic and social pains and agony and for remaining calm, peaceful, and committed to democracy in the face of provocations by anti-democratic elements who plotted unsuccessfully to truncate the announcement and declaration of results with spurious and unsubstantiated claims, fake news, letter and incitements of various kinds.”

The security agencies were commended and congratulated for their professionalism and unbiased conduct, which contributed in no small measure to the success and credibility of the election.

The local and international observers organizations were equally applauded for their unbiased observations and report of the elections, which has helped to deepen our democracy, and it is hoped that they will make their final report to the electoral umpire for improvements in observed areas of shortcoming going forward.

The media was not left out of commendations for its untiring and patriotic role in the objective and professional coverage and reportage of the election and the outcome in which due process was followed and reflected the will of the people as a victory for democracy.

The political party agents were commended for their civilized conduct, which contributed to the peaceful and credible conduct of the 2023 general elections.

It also congratulated the winner of the presidential election, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on his victory.