The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has taken aim at the 2023 general elections, declaring that the process undermined public confidence in democracy.
The Calabar Ecclesiastical Province, CBCN President and Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Ugorji, had on Saturday in Akwa Ibom during an interactive session argued that the 2023 election process further weakened trust.
“Citizens’ confidence in the electoral process was seriously eroded during the last general elections by electoral malpractice, fraud and the so-called election glitches,” he said.
The Archbishop demanded sweeping reforms, including electronic transmission of results and constitutional changes to strengthen the independence of INEC.
He cautioned, “Fundamental reforms are necessary for the preservation of social stability, and those who try to frustrate such peaceful changes make violent changes unavoidable.”
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INEC, however, swiftly rejected the criticism. In a statement on Sunday, September 14, its chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, described the bishops’ verdict as “ungodly.”
He said, “It is unfair and even ungodly to narrow down the credibility of the outcome of the 2023 general election to the unfortunate glitch that happened to the INEC Result Viewing portal.”
Oyekanmi insisted the elections met legal standards. “I want to affirm, without any fear of contradiction, that the 2023 general election was one of the best ever conducted in Nigeria,” he declared.
He challenged the bishops: “Anyone who has any evidence to the contrary should please come forward with it… otherwise, they should fear God and hold their peace henceforth.”