Guinea-Bissau: Peter Obi Slams ECOWAS Over ‘Double Standards’ on Democracy

Guinea-Bissau: Peter Obi Slams ECOWAS Over ‘Double Standards’ on Democracy

Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticized the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for what he described as double standards in addressing democratic disruptions among member states.

Obi made the remarks in response to ECOWAS’ condemnation of the recent military coup in Guinea-Bissau, contrasting it with the organization’s silence on the “technology glitch” that affected Nigeria’s 2023 elections.

In a post on his X handle titled ‘Reflecting on the Coup Glitches in Guinea-Bissau’, Obi emphasized that all forms of electoral disruption—whether by military force or technical failures—undermine democracy and violate citizens’ rights.

He recounted reaching out to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau as an election monitor during the reported coup, confirming that Jonathan was safe. Obi noted that the election in Guinea-Bissau appeared peaceful, with the only pending step being the formal announcement of results.

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“What makes the situation striking is that while Nigeria’s own election was marred by a ‘technical glitch,’ Guinea-Bissau suffered from a ‘coup glitch.’ Yet, to this day, no one has clearly explained Nigeria’s glitch,” Obi said.

He questioned why ECOWAS was swift to sanction Guinea-Bissau but remained silent when technological failures disrupted Nigeria’s election. Obi argued that both visible coups and hidden technical glitches ultimately deny citizens their mandate, destabilize governments, and weaken democracy in West Africa.

“True democracy flourishes in environments of transparency and accountability, where the voice of the people is paramount and not interrupted by unforeseen glitches or political maneuverings,” Obi said, adding that addressing these issues is essential to building a New Nigeria and a stable democratic region.

Obi concluded that the Guinea-Bissau coup and Nigeria’s electoral technology failures represent “two faces of the same crisis,” both undermining citizens’ rights and the democratic process.

Guinea-Bissau: Peter Obi Slams ECOWAS Over ‘Double Standards’ on Democracy