The United Kingdom (UK) government has expressed satisfaction with the just concluded Anambra governor’s election.
The British High Commission in Abuja, in a statement also congratulated the winner of the election, Prof Charles Soludo, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The UK government noted that the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process carried out by YIAGA Africa.
The UK government also said its mission, which observed the preparations for the poll, acknowledged the collective effort of stakeholders in the conduct of the election.
‘The people of Anambra have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy.
‘We recognise that independent Nigerian voices have expressed concerns about the conduct of the electoral process, in particular around logistics, accreditation of voters, deployment of polling officials, and low voter turnout. The UK is encouraged by the use and transparency of INEC’s result viewing portal in the electoral process.
‘We encourage any party or individual who is dissatisfied with the process to seek redress in a peaceful manner and through the appropriate legal channels,’ the British High Commission said.
The UK government further said as a long-standing partner of the Nigerian people, it will continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from the elections and the deepening of its democracy, including the integrity of its elections.
Reacting to the development, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, said: ‘Credible and inclusive elections are fundamental to Nigeria’s democratic growth. I encourage INEC and all stakeholders to continue improving the electoral system and to ensure meaningful participation of young people, women and citizens generally in the democratic process.’
