Timi Frank hits at outgoing British high commissioner for describing polls as free and fair

FORMER All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy publicity secretary Timi Frank has hit out at outgoing British high commissioner to Nigeria Catriona Laing for claiming that the 2023 presidential elections were free and fair.

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and the Independent National Election Commission (Inec) subsequently declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner. Among the main gladiators in the contest were Asiwaju Tinubu of APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ex-Anambra State governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party and former Kano State governor Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Inec chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who served as the returning officer for the presidential election, declared Asiwaju Tinubu the victor of the contest with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Alhaji Abubakar of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes. However, the PDP and Labour Party have refused to accept the results, taking to the courts to challenge the APCs victory.

Responding to the declaration, Ms Laing was quoted as having told Nigerians to be proud of the 2023 general election despite observed setbacks. Mr Frank has hit out at her over this, urging Ms Laing to urgently apologise to Nigerians for apparently putting her stamp of authority on an election that has been adjudged fraudulent and having not been conducted in line with due process of law.

Mr Frank said: “Our attention has been drawn to a tendentious statement credited to the outgoing UK high commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing to the effect that despite setbacks, Nigerians should be proud of the recent presidential and National Assembly elections. This statement coming from the representatives of the British government in Nigeria could be described as an insult upon injury.”

He added that since the high commissioner did not deny the statement or dissociate herself from it, he deemed it necessary to reply to her that the election was not near the standard envisaged in the law that governs Inec Mr Frank insisted that the people’s mandate has been stolen and Nigerians can never be proud of the broad-daylight robbery.