By Seyi Babalola
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, has come under fire from the Northern Awareness Network for remarks he made on the elections in South Africa.
According to Obi, the most recent election in South Africa is a brilliant illustration of what a transparent process should entail.
The former governor of Anambra State stated in a post on Saturday via his X account that the differences between the two countries’ election processes are unfortunate and a reflection of Nigeria’s continuous difficulties with democratic administration.
However, the northern group, in a statement by its chairman, Salihu Suleiman, said the two nations have vastly different political histories and contexts, making any such comparisons by Obi misleading.
“South Africa has a long history of democracy, having gone through significant political reform and transformation over several decades of practice. On the other hand, Nigeria only transitioned to democracy in 1999 after years of military rule,” explained Suleiman.
According to him, Obi’s attempt to juxtapose the electoral experiences of the two countries demonstrates a lack of understanding of their respective political landscapes.
“Peter Obi’s attempt to compare the electoral processes of South Africa and Nigeria is quite ridiculous.
“The two countries are at different stages of democratic development, and it would be more prudent to focus on addressing the specific challenges facing the Nigerian electoral system rather than drawing unwarranted comparisons,” he said.
The group explained that the Nigerian electoral system is still in its infancy and that comparing it to South Africa’s more mature democracy is not only inaccurate but also unfair to the people of Nigeria, who have been working diligently to build a functioning democracy.
