The Nigerian government has admonished the international media to stop re-reporting false, fake and misleading content about the country’s 2023 general elections as harvested from social media and other questionable sources.
This was disclosed by the country’s information and culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Monday, in Washington DC after several meetings and engagements with selected international media outfits.
Unnecessary tension
Speaking with reporters who accompanied him on the trip, the Minister accused the opposition political parties, their candidates and the naysayers for causing unnecessary tension in the country’s polity and warned that they stop threatening the country’s peace and stability.
He said losing an election does not warrant a true democrat to tag the election as fraudulent.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the actions and comments of the the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the Labour party in particular as undemocratic and dangerous to the polity and country’s unity.
“We have observed that misleading narratives have been promoted by naysayers and opposition elements. They have been asking for the elections to be canceled. In another breath, some were even calling for an interim government. These are generally inciting comments and very undemocratic.”
Most transparent
Alhaji Lai Mohammed who remarked that he was in the USA to counter and balance the false narrative about the election, affirmed that the 2023 election was one of the fairest, freest and most transparent in the history of the country.
“On day one of my official visit, we have been able to meet with four major international media organisations notably the Washington Post, Foreign Policy magazine, the Associated Press and Voice of America and the message was clear, the opposition were not sport manly in the contest. The opposition are misrepresenting the facts on ground.”
The Minister said the election stood out because of the introduction of a technology.
“Also the resolve of Mr President to leave behind, a legacy of free and fair election all contributed to the standards recorded as he created a level playing ground for the election to take place.”
The indicators are there. The ruling party lost the President’s state, the party chairman’s state, the state of the President-elect as well as that of the Director General of the campaign organisation”
According to the Minister, when INEC observed and suspected sabotage on the cyber system, it withheld access to the system with a view to preserve the integrity of the data and immediately proceeded to float an alternative platform before the restoration of the initial glitch.
Without any proof
The Minister further said people are making wild allegations about the election without any proof whatsoever to discredit this election.
“I took the opportunity of my meeting with these four media outlets to explain why neither Obi nor Atiku can be declared winners because the Constitution of Nigeria has stringent and very clear criteria for anybody to emerge president and all the opposition failed to meet that.Only the President elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu met that.”
Not only was he able to realise the plurality of votes cast, he also scored one quarter of votes cast in at least twenty five states of the federation and other criteria spelt out lawfully.
The Western media must deliberately stop believing some of the false narratives being dished out there.
The Minister said it is delusional for the Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi to claim that he won the election.
“Mr Obi has continued with his fake news that he won the election which is absurd and delusional.”
Tangible success
The Minister said that the result of presidential election and that of the National Assembly election has shown clearly that Labour party is a regional or sectional party that needs to reach out and build bridges for any tangible success to be recorded.
“He needs to reach out if he wants to remain relevant in politics. Please he should stop disturbing the peace of Nigeria. You can not in one breath go to court to seek redress and also be seen inciting people. As a Democrat you should not only believe in democracy when you win elections.”
The organisation and members are allowed to lobby congressmen and lawmakers and even raised funds for illegal activities that can harm democracy in Nigeria.
Lateefah Ibrahim
