News
Nigerian government rejects European Union’s report on 2023 elections, gives reason
The Nigerian government has rejected the European Union’s report on the 2023 general elections, saying it’s a poorly-done desk job.
The EU mission presented its report on the general election in Abuja on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Barry Andrews, the chief observer, said the report was based on the analysis of compliance with Nigeria’s regional and international commitments for democratic elections.
Andrews faulted INEC for the operational challenges and glitches experienced with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the result viewing portal, saying the discrepancies severely damaged public confidence in the electoral body.
However, the federal government reacting to the report in a statement on Sunday issued by Dele Alake, special adviser to the president on special duties, communications and strategy, said the EU mission report is a poorly-done desk job.
“Sometimes in May, we alerted the nation, through a press statement, to the plan by a continental multi-lateral institution to discredit the 2023 general elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The main target was the presidential election, clearly and fairly won by the then candidate of All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Alake said.
“For emphasis, we want to reiterate that the 2023 general elections, most especially the presidential election, won by President Bola Tinubu/All Progressives Congress, were credible, peaceful, free, fair and the best organised general elections in Nigeria since 1999.
“There is no substantial evidence provided by the European Union or any foreign and local organisation that is viable enough to impeach the integrity of the 2023 election outcomes.
“EU-EOM observed the elections through 11 Abuja-based analysts, and 40 election observers spread across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. With the level of personnel deployed, which was barely an average of one person per state, we wonder how EU-EOM independently monitored election in over 176,000 polling units across Nigeria.
“We would like to know and even ask EU, how it reached the conclusions in the submitted final report with the very limited coverage of the elections by their observers who, without doubt, relied more on rumours, hearsay, cocktails of prejudiced and uninformed social media commentaries and opposition talking heads.
“We are convinced that what EU-EOM called final report on our recent elections is a product of a poorly done desk job that relied heavily on few instances of skirmishes in less than 1000 polling units out of over 176,000 where Nigerians voted on election day. We have many reasons to believe the jaundiced report, based on the views of fewer than 50 observers, was to merely sustain the same premature denunciatory stance contained in EU’s preliminary report released in March.”
Alake further noted that the EU mission report on the elections cannot stand, saying the country has moved on and the citizens appear “satisfied” with the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
“We strongly reject, in its entirety, any notion and idea from any organisation, group and individual remotely suggesting that the 2023 election was fraudulent,” Alake said.
“Our earlier position that the technology-aided 2023 general elections were the most transparent and best organised elections since the return of civil rule in Nigeria has been validated by all non-partisan foreign and local observers such as the African Union, ECOWAS, Commonwealth Observer Mission and the Nigerian Bar Association.
“Unlike EU-EOM that deployed fewer than 50 observers, the Nigerian Bar Association that sent out over 1,000 observers spread across the entire country for same election gave a more holistic and accurate assessment of the elections in their own report.
“As a country, we have put the elections behind us. President Tinubu is facing the arduous task of nation-building, while those who have reasons to challenge the process continue to do so through the courts. In just one month in office, Nigerians appear satisfied with the decisive leadership of President Tinubu and the manner he is redirecting the country to the path of fiscal sustainability and socio-economic reforms.
“We urge the EU and other foreign interests to be objective in all their assessments of the internal affairs of our country and allow Nigeria to breathe.”
Education
1ST NIGERIAN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS CONFERENCE ON UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) ESSAY COMPETITION
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The SDG Youth Essay Competition offers a grand prize of N1 million for the top three winners, along with free sponsorship to attend the 1st Nigeria Tertiary Institution Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in April 2024 in Abuja.
Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– Open exclusively to undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
2. Entry Guidelines:
– Topic:The Role of Students in Attainment of SDG4
– length: Essays should be 1500 words.
– Entry Period: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Thursday, February 29, 2024
– Referencing: APA Style (6th Edition).
– Font: Times New Roman, 12-point font size.
– Documentation: Typed in 1.5 line spacing, MS Word format only.
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Required Documents:
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Deadline: February 29th, 2024
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to achieving SDG4 and win exciting prizes. Submit your entry and required documents before the deadline. For any inquiries, feel free to contact them via phone or email.
Competition Overview:
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Competition Requirements:
1. Eligibility:
– The competition is open to 400-level and 500-level undergraduate law students in Nigerian universities.
2. Essay Requirements:
– Length: Essays should not exceed 1500 words.
– Format: Double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font.
– References: OSCOLA format for citations with 10pt font size for footnotes and endnotes.
– Submission Format: Essays must be submitted in PDF format.
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Topic:
The theme for the 2024 competition is “Protecting the Nigerian Child from the Dangers of Online Technology.” Participants are tasked with exploring strategies to safeguard children in an increasingly digital world.
Eligibility:
– Open to primary and secondary school students in Nigeria aged 9 to 16.
– Junior category (ages 9 to 12) essays must not exceed 1,000 words.
– Senior category (ages 13 to 16) essays must not exceed 1,500 words.
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– Essays must be written in English and reflect original thought.
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– Deadline for submissions is April 12, 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
– All submissions must be in PDF format and include the student’s name, home and school addresses, email address, and contact phone number.
– Double entries will result in automatic disqualification.
– Submissions must be received by March 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
Notification of Winners:
– Successful students and schools will be contacted in the second quarter of the year.
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The SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition offers a unique opportunity for Nigerian students to demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills. By addressing the theme of online child protection, participants contribute to building a safer and more secure digital environment for all. We encourage eligible students to seize this opportunity and showcase their talent and ingenuity.
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