Doyin Okupe, the former Director-General of the Labour Party’s presidential campaign during the 2023 elections, asserted on Monday that electoral manipulation has been a recurring theme in Nigeria’s history. He suggested that the only notable exception might be the annulled elections of 1993, which saw the late Chief MKO Abiola emerge as a prominent candidate.
In his remarks, Okupe pointed out that the Supreme Court’s ruling on the 2023 presidential election results, which declared President Bola Tinubu the victor, has effectively settled any disputes surrounding the election’s legitimacy.
Speaking to reporters in Lagos, Okupe addressed recent backlash from supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate in the last election, who criticized him for shifting his allegiance and endorsing the current government’s policies.
He emphasized that life must progress beyond elections and urged citizens to await the next electoral cycle to address any grievances or issues they may have.
“To me, claims of election rigging lack substance. Every election in Nigeria, from the first republic to the present, has encountered some form of manipulation, with perhaps Abiola’s election being a rare exception. In the U.S., many Republicans still contend that the election that led to Biden’s presidency was rigged. Yet, Americans didn’t dismantle their system over this; they chose to wait for the next election to rectify any flaws,” he stated.
