The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for what he described as inconsistent reactions to disruptions of democratic processes across the region.
Obi, in a statement released on his verified X handle on Sunday, faulted the regional bloc for swiftly condemning the alleged military-orchestrated interruption of Guinea-Bissau’s electoral process while remaining silent on similar “technology glitches” reported in other countries.
According to him, any form of electoral manipulation—whether through force or technical irregularities—must be firmly rejected as they undermine democracy.
The former Anambra State governor recalled arriving in Abuja on Thursday, November 27, after attending a meeting at the European Parliament, where he closely followed the press briefing of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who served as an election monitor in Guinea-Bissau.
Obi noted that Jonathan had raised concerns over the credibility of the so-called coup, describing it as “suspicious,” particularly because it was the president of Guinea-Bissau who announced the coup and provided details to the international community.
He further pointed out that reports indicated the election was peaceful, with only the formal announcement of results pending before the alleged military interference.
“ECOWAS was quick to sanction Guinea-Bissau, but what does ECOWAS do when democracy is subverted, not by soldiers, but by technology?” he asked.
National Beam reports that Guinea-Bissau, with a population of about 2.2 million, has experienced recurrent coups and attempted coups since gaining independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago.
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