Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi wants the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to sanction countries who rig elections and deny the people right to freely choose their leaders.
Obi in a statement on X, formerly Twitter on Sunday, said ECOWAS was quick to sanction Guinea-Bissau for the coup in the country but was silent on subversion of democracy in the subregion through the use of technology.
He wondered why ECOWAS only condemn coups that are visible with guns and ignore those carried out through a designed technological failure.
Obi added that “it is safe to say that while Nigeria’s 2023 election was marred by a ‘technical glitch,’ the election in Guinea-Bissau seems to have suffered from a ‘coup glitch.’
“Yet, to this day, no one has clearly explained the nature of Nigeria’s glitch.”
The former Anambra State governor added that whether technical or political, these challenges can undermine democracy, hinder progress, and obstruct the rights of African citizens to freely elect their leaders.
According to him, true democracy flourishes in environments of transparency and accountability, adding that the the voice of the people is paramount in democracy and should not be interrupted by unforeseen glitches or political maneuverings.
Obi stated that by addressing these issues ECOWAS could work towards a more stable and democratic West Africa.
“Together, we can ensure that the will of the people prevails and that our elections reflect the true desires of our citizens,” he said, stating that the Guinea-Bissau scenarios represent two faces of the same crisis.
“One where ballots are discarded by force and another where ballots are obstructed by convenient technical issues.
“In both cases, the people suffer, democracy is undermined, and the region sinks deeper into instability. The outcome remains the same: the citizens are denied their mandate.
“True democracy can only thrive when transparency and accountability prevail, and when the voice of the people is respected, not interrupted by glitches or coups,” Obi added.
