Ogona Anita
The Labour Party of Nigeria has angrily lashed out on British owned Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)โan appendage of The Economist Newspaper over its latest report that predicted that the presidential election petition tribunal will not sack President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress from office.
While reacting to the projection, Mr Onifade, head of Obi-Datti media office in a statement which a copy was made available to News Band described the projection as โA transactional work poorly doneโ by the APC to pre-empt the court.
Onifade who expressed disappointment over the report said that it is highly unbecoming for a reputable Newspaper like The-Economist to engage in such a counter-intuitive prediction.
Part of the statement reads, โThe attention of the Obi-Datti Media office has been drawn to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) political prediction on the eventual outcome of the 25 February presidential election, titled, โWhen Brigandage Meets Merchantalism.โ
โWe find the report as yet another transactional work poorly done. 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.
โEvery foreign and domestic observersโ 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.
โFor 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.
โThis EIU prediction is beyond partisan; indeed it is most disturbing and unacceptable.
โBy this jaundiced report, the EIU via subterfuge is trying to pre-script a judicial outcome by front-loading its proffered narrative.
โโIt 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.
โโEven 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.
โAttempting to score cheap points with the passive mention of Mr. Tinubuโs low popularity at 37% of 27% voter turnout does not sufficiently capture the widely held view of proven election irregularities like never experienced in Nigeriaโs history. Moreover, to opine that the Judiciary would do the unthinkable in the face of proven irregularities while it expects Mr. Tinubuโs 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 endeavor to be impartial in its commentaries on Nigeria, or simply put up and shut up.
โObi-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 Jacobโs hand in Esauโs clothing.
โWe, therefore wish to ask EIU to stop staking their reputations by trying to drink from a broken jar which the APC represents in Nigeriaโs democracy and endeavor 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 endeavor to be impartial in its commentaries on Nigeria.โ
