The former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has sharply criticised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over what he described as its selective response to democratic disruptions in the sub-region, questioning why the bloc swiftly sanctioned Guinea-Bissau following its recent coup scare while remaining silent on Nigeria’s unresolved “technical glitch” during the 2023 general elections.
Obi, who returned to Abuja on Thursday after a meeting at the European Parliament, said he became alarmed when he learned that former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had been caught up in the reported coup situation in Guinea-Bissau.
“I immediately reached out to him, and he assured me that he was safe. I was further relieved to hear that he had returned safely to Nigeria,” Obi said.
He noted that Jonathan, who was in the West African country as an election observer, later briefed the media and revealed that the so-called coup appeared suspicious.
According to Jonathan, “it was the president himself who announced the coup and shared details with the international community,” despite the election reportedly being peaceful and only awaiting formal declaration of results.
Obi seized on this contradiction to draw a parallel with Nigeria’s own flawed election.
“In Nigeria, our election was marred by what they called a ‘technical glitch’, yet nobody has explained the nature of that glitch till today,” he stated.
The former Anambra State Governor said if the incident in Guinea-Bissau could be termed a “coup glitch,” then Nigeria experienced a “technical glitch” of equal consequence, both resulting in an assault on the democratic process.
“But while ECOWAS was quick to sanction Guinea-Bissau, what does ECOWAS do when democracy is subverted not by soldiers but by technology?” Obi asked.
“What is the punishment for countries that announce ‘glitches’ at critical moments during an election? Do we only condemn coups carried out with guns and ignore those executed through conveniently timed technological failures?”
Obi argued that the two situations represent “different faces of the same crisis,” one where ballots are suppressed by force and another where they are obstructed by technical manipulation.
“In both cases, the people suffer, democracy is undermined, and the region sinks deeper into instability. The outcome remains the same: citizens are denied their mandate,” he said.
He stressed that West Africa must insist on transparency, accountability and respect for the will of the people.
“True democracy can only thrive when the voice of the people is respected, not interrupted by glitches or coups,” he added.
Obi maintained that confronting these issues honestly is essential for building a more stable region.
“By addressing these issues constructively, we can work towards a New Nigeria and a more democratic West Africa,” he said. “A New Nigeria is possible.”
