The United States government has finally spoken out on the outcome of the Edo State gubernatorial election.
The US government has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to support processes for challenging the results.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., the American government commended the people of Edo State for the peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial elections on September 21.
INEC had earlier declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the keenly contested election, securing 291,667 votes. Okpebholo defeated Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who came third with 22,763 votes.
However, the main opposition parties have rejected the results, claiming they do not reflect the electorates’ votes and have threatened to take legal action.
“The U.S. Mission in Nigeria commends the people of Edo State for the widely peaceful conduct of gubernatorial elections on September 21 and reiterates calls for calm following the announcement of results,” the statement read.
It added, “We commend Governor Godwin Obaseki’s appeal for peace and urge all stakeholders, including INEC, to support established electoral processes and respect legal procedures to challenge results.”
“Transparency and due process are crucial to maintaining public confidence in any democratic system. The United States reaffirms our commitment to supporting free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Nigeria and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the statement added.