The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has praised the widely peaceful nature of the recent governorship election in Edo State, held on September 21. In a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, Mills commended the citizens of Edo for their orderly conduct during the elections and lauded Governor Godwin Obaseki for his appeal for peace.
“The U.S. Mission in Nigeria commends the people of Edo for the widely peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial elections and reiterates calls for calm following the announcement of results,” Mills stated. He urged all stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to uphold established electoral processes and respect legal procedures for contesting the results.
Highlighting the importance of transparency and due process, Mills noted that these elements are essential for maintaining public confidence in any democratic system. He reaffirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in Nigeria, pledging continued monitoring of the situation in Edo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as the winner of the election, securing 291,667 votes against his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party finished third with 22,763 votes.
However, the PDP has rejected the election results, asserting that they will pursue all legal avenues to contest the outcome. PDP acting National Chairman Umar Damagum stated at a press conference that evidence from polling units indicated Ighodalo had won before results were allegedly manipulated. He called on INEC to review the election results in accordance with Section 65 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Damagum urged all Nigerians and democracy advocates to stand in solidarity with the people of Edo, emphasizing that the will of the electorate, as expressed at the polling units, must prevail. He encouraged party supporters to remain steadfast as the PDP seeks to reclaim what they believe is their rightful mandate through lawful means.
