The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), accusing the regional bloc of applying double standards in its response to electoral disruptions in Guinea-Bissau.
Obi, in a statement shared on his verified X handle on Sunday, faulted ECOWAS for swiftly condemning what he described as a “military-arranged glitch” in Guinea-Bissau, while remaining silent on similar technology-related glitches reported in other African elections.
In the post titled “Reflecting on the ‘Coup Glitches in Guinea-Bissau’,” Obi argued that disruptions—whether caused by soldiers or technology—undermine democracy and should not be overlooked.
“I listened carefully to the press briefing of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as the former President, who was in Guinea-Bissau as an election monitor, noted that the so-called coup appeared suspicious,” Obi said.
He highlighted Jonathan’s concern that the alleged coup was unusual, noting that “it was the president himself who announced the coup and shared details with the international community.”
Obi: ECOWAS quick to act on Guinea-Bissau, silent elsewhere
According to Obi, the election in Guinea-Bissau was reported to be peaceful, with only the formal declaration of results pending before the alleged disruption occurred.
“ECOWAS was quick to sanction Guinea-Bissau, but what does ECOWAS do when democracy is subverted, not by soldiers, but by technology?” he queried.
‘Do we only condemn coups with guns?’
The former Anambra State governor questioned whether the sub-regional body would punish countries that attribute election disruptions to “glitches” at critical moments.
“Do we only condemn coups that are visible with guns and ignore those carried out through a designed technological failure?” he asked.
Obi warned that both technical and political manipulations pose threats to democratic processes, saying: “It is essential to recognise that whether technical or political, these challenges can undermine democracy, hinder progress and obstruct the rights of African citizens to freely elect their leaders.”
Call for transparency and accountability across West Africa
Obi emphasised that democracy thrives only when transparency, accountability, and the supremacy of citizens’ voices are upheld.
“By addressing these issues constructively, we can work towards a New Nigeria and a more stable and democratic West Africa. Together, we can ensure that the will of the people prevails and that our elections reflect the true desires of our citizens,” he stated.
He described the Guinea-Bissau episode as symbolic of a wider crisis in the region.
“The Guinea-Bissau scenarios represent two faces of the same crisis: one where ballots are discarded by force and another where ballots are obstructed by convenient technical issues,” he said.
“In both cases, the people suffer, democracy is undermined, and the region sinks deeper into instability. The outcome remains the same: the citizens are denied their mandate.”
What you should know
ECOWAS had suspended Guinea-Bissau from all its decision-making bodies after a military coup removed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló on 26 November.
- The suspension followed an emergency virtual summit on Thursday, where ECOWAS leaders condemned the takeover and demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order.
- ECOWAS said it rejected any arrangement that “perpetuates the illegal abortion of the democratic process,” insisting that the National Electoral Commission be allowed to announce the 23 November election results without delay.
