Like Atiku, Obi faults Economist Intelligence Unit report on presidential election petition

The Obi-Datti Media office, on Monday, dismissed a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) predicting the eventual outcome of the ongoing legal tussle to the disputed February 24, 2023, presidential election as a jaundiced poorly done job.

According to the Obi-Datti media office, the report was designed to advance the cause of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Head of the media office, Diran Onifade, in a statement said: “We are taken aback that after a long silence, it is most appalling that a highly reputed analytical entity will engage in such a counter-intuitive prediction.

“Every foreign and domestic observers’ report classified the election as egregiously flawed. Such contentions are sufficient grounds for the upturning of the election results by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) as sufficient evidence was provided to prove that the election was substantially flawed and did not meet the acceptable standard for a credible election.

“For the EIU to predict otherwise seems utterly self-serving, and scripted to meet the political needs and aspirations of APC, the possible facilitator of the report.

“This EIU prediction is beyond partisan; indeed it is most disturbing and unacceptable.

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“By this jaundiced report, the EIU via subterfuge is trying to pre-script a judicial outcome by front-loading its proffered narrative.

“It is clearly obvious that this EIU prediction is a paid-for-advert that canvasses the position of one party among many that vied for the presidential elections.

“Even though the EIU also referred to the APC reform agenda losing momentum, Nigerians are not deceived that such analysis is by any means altruistic, when clearly it is the other way round.

“It is very doubtful that the EIU would endorse the incredulous and shambolic conduct of INEC, had it happened within the United Kingdom or the European Union territory.”

The Obi-Datti media office further berated the think tank of seeking to secure cheap points in an attempt to appear altruistic.

“Attempting to score cheap points with the passive mention of Mr. Tinubu’s low popularity at 37% of 27% voter turnout does not sufficiently capture the widely held view of proven election irregularities like never experienced in Nigeria’s history.

“Moreover, to opine that the Judiciary would do the unthinkable in the face of proven irregularities while it expects Mr. Tinubu’s reforms agenda to lose momentum, given his fast eroding low-level political capital, goes to show how much value the EIU places on Nigeria as a whole, along with its Judiciary. We reject such a damnable doctrine full of inconsistencies.

“While the EIU presumably might not mind ending up on the wrong side of events, we ask that it should henceforth endeavour to be impartial in its commentaries on Nigeria, or simply put up and shut up.

“Obi-Datti Media office sees this report as not in the interest of Nigeria and inconsequential to the outcome of cases before their Lordship because they are learned and wise enough to discern Jacob’s hand in Esau’s clothing.

“We, therefore wish to ask EIU to stop staking their reputations by trying to drink from a broken jar which the APc represents in Nigeria’s democracy and endeavour to be impartial in their commentaries and always strive to be on the right side of history and avoid aligning itself with illegal, corrupt and criminal tendencies that harm and destroy our humanity. We urge that it should henceforth endeavour to be impartial in its commentaries on Nigeria”, the stated added.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has also rejected the report, which he described as an embarrassment, even as he accused the APC of begging for legitimacy in impossible of places.

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