According to the United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour (DRL) in a report, the outcome of the 2023 general elections reflected the will of Nigerians. “National elections were widely reported to have reflected the will of voters despite technical and logistical difficulties and some irregularities,” the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria says.
In the report, many independent observers assessed the results of the presidential, legislative, and state-level elections during the year and concluded that they reflected the will of voters. This, it says, is “despite reports of voter suppression and vote buying, campaigning at polling stations, lack of ballot secrecy, violence, and intimidation”. The report says the Federal Government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content. On the participation of women and members of marginalized or vulnerable groups, the report notes that the national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria was 6.7 per cent in elected and appointed positions. It says observers noted that religious, cultural, and economic barriers contributed to fewer leadership opportunities for women in major parties and government.
