Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has written an open letter to US President Joe Biden, describing the 2023 Nigerian presidential election as an “illegitimate process.”
The letter titled, “Nigeria’s Hollow Democracy,” expressed her disappointment with the U.S. State Department’s congratulatory message to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while also calling out the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not fulfilling its promises to Nigerians.
Chimamanda, who supported the Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, faulted INEC for not uploading presidential election results in real-time, despite its assurances to the public. She implored President Biden not to legitimize the “illegitimate process” by congratulating the outcome of the election.
The author stated that many Nigerians were disappointed, not because their preferred candidate lost, but because the electoral process was “unacceptably and unforgivably flawed.” She also criticized the U.S. State Department spokesperson for calling the election “competitive” and representing “a new period for Nigerian politics and democracy.”
Chimamanda previously urged President Biden to support election transparency in Nigeria in a New York Times article following the 2023 presidential election. The author’s letter to President Biden highlights concerns about Nigeria’s electoral process and seeks to raise awareness about the need for transparency and fairness in future elections