An American diplomat and a foreign observer in the 2023 general elections, Johnnie Carson has shared his thoughtss on how the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, was able to secure his victory in the just concluded 2023 elections.
According to Carson, three factors were responsible for the victory of Tinubu.
“Do you know why he won, he got the money, he had the best national organisation that worked for him and the ground game,’’ he said.
Carson who is an Executive Officer of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) stated this in Washington DC when the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, paid an official visit to the institute to engage on the concluded elections.
The diplomat said he co-led National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI), International Election Observation Mission to Nigeria during the elections.
Carson insisted that Tinubu undoubtedly won the polls and would be sworn-in come May 29, except something happens dramatically with the court.
He emphasised that for a candidate to win an election in Nigeria, like a lot of democracy in the globe, the three things, including substantial and significant financial resources were needed.
Others, according to him, are a national working organisation and a grassroots acceptance.
Speaking specifically on the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Carson said, “on the part of Mr Peter Obi, he did not have the ground game and a national organisation.
“Obi is, however, very popular, particularly among the young, educated, urban and sophisticated.’’
He, however stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needed to up its game.
“Nigeria deserves the very best electoral process.
To me, the problem is not with Tinubu and the other candidates,’’ he added.
