The British High Commission has hailed Saturday’s Edo State governorship election as mainly peaceful, following the announcement of the results.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the commission praised the people of Edo State for participating in the electoral process and emphasized the need of sustaining peace.
“The UK commends the largely peaceful conduct of the elections and the voters of Edo State for their participation,” according to a statement.
The All Progressives Congress candidate, Monday Okpebholo, was proclaimed the winner of the poll after receiving 291,667 votes, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party’s Asue Ighodalo, who received 247,274.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party was a distant third with 22,763 votes. The UK commission urged parties with reservations about the election outcome to use established legal mechanisms to express their concerns.
They emphasized that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies should handle such concerns transparently and fairly.
“Electoral and legal processes exist to address any challenges or disputes, and we encourage the authorities, including INEC, to examine all concerns transparently and in good faith,” the commission added.
The UK government reiterated its commitment to supporting genuine elections in Nigeria, stating that it will continue to closely watch the situation in Edo State.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
