By Becky Usman

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, voiced his displeasure on Monday regarding the European Union’s (EU) report on the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. According to Wike, the report failed to accurately represent the true state of the last election in the country and created a misleading impression, particularly in Rivers State.

Wike expressed his dissatisfaction during a meeting with EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, who paid him a visit at his office. He argued that the EU’s role was to serve as an observer during the election, not to provide a report that did not accurately depict Nigerian democracy.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM), led by Chief Observer Barry Andres, had presented its final report on the last Nigerian general elections in June, highlighting six priority areas along with recommendations.

Wike, however, emphasized that Nigerian laws and the EU’s laws could not be the same due to their different environments. He stated, “I didn’t agree with the European Union over the last report on the election in Nigeria. They are to observe. Nigerian laws can’t be the same as EU laws because they have different environments. In Rivers State, EU’s report was different from what transpired there. How can people who believe in democracy and practice it be portrayed as people who don’t understand democracy?”

He urged a focus on improving the economy and called for cooperation on specific development areas in the Federal Capital Territory and across the country.

In response, Samuela Isopi clarified that the report had been compiled by independent observers and was not directly linked to her own operations. She expressed her commitment to working with the minister to enhance development in the territory and beyond.