Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has compared the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau to Nigeria’s 2023 general election, arguing that both events represent different forms of democratic subversion.
In a statement released Sunday morning titled “Reflecting on the ‘Coup Glitches’ in Guinea-Bissau”, Obi said the West African nation’s crisis reminded him of the “technical glitch” that marred Nigeria’s election results transmission.
Obi explained that he had just returned from a meeting at the European Parliament when he learned that former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was caught up in the Guinea-Bissau coup while serving as an election monitor.
He said Jonathan later assured him of his safety and briefed the public about the suspicious nature of the so-called coup, noting that it was unusual for a sitting president to announce his own overthrow.
Linking Guinea-Bissau to Nigeria’s 2023 Election
Obi stressed that the Guinea-Bissau election was reportedly peaceful until the announcement of results was halted by what he described as a “coup glitch.”
He drew a parallel to Nigeria’s 2023 election, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) abruptly stopped transmitting results due to a reported server malfunction.
“It is safe to say that while Nigeria’s own election was marred by a ‘technical glitch,’ the election in Guinea-Bissau seems to have suffered from a ‘coup glitch.’ Yet, to this day, no one has clearly explained the nature of Nigeria’s glitch,” Obi wrote.
He questioned why ECOWAS swiftly sanctioned Guinea-Bissau but do not take similar action when democracy is undermined through technology rather than military force.
“Do we only condemn coups that are visible with guns and ignore those carried out through designed technical failures?” he asked.
Call for Transparency and Accountability
Obi argued that both Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria illustrate two faces of the same crisis: one where ballots are discarded by force, and another where ballots are obstructed by “convenient technical issues.”
In both cases, he said, citizens are denied their mandate and democracy is weakened.
“True democracy can only thrive when transparency and accountability prevail, and when the voice of the people is respected, not interrupted by glitches or coups,” he concluded.
Obi urged West African leaders and institutions to address these issues constructively, insisting that only by doing so can the region achieve stability and ensure that elections reflect the true will of the people.
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