US Mission commends Edo for peaceful poll

The United States Mission in Nigeria has lauded the people of Edo State for their peaceful participation in the gubernatorial elections on September 21.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Richard Mills Jr. said this in a statement issued on Tuesday, urging all stakeholders to uphold the integrity of the electoral process as results were announced.

Mills emphasised the critical role of transparency in maintaining public trust, stating that adherence to established electoral procedures is paramount.

He commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for advocating for peace and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders to respect legal avenues for contesting results.

“The US 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.

“We commend Governor 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,” he stated.

On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the keenly contested poll in Edo State.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced the result at the INEC collation centre in Benin City.

Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, winning eleven out of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, while Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party secured 247,274, winning seven LGs.

Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party came a distant third with 22,761 votes.