The United States government has expressed concern over the recent tribunal decision on the Edo State governorship election.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria said the ruling may have come from a process with problems.
In a message posted on the official X account of the U.S. Embassy on Friday, the diplomatic office said there were “serious lapses in the collation process” during the election. They added that civil society groups and election observers are also worried about these issues.
“Ambassador Mills reiterates his statement of September 24 that 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 said.
There have been complaints following the September 21 governorship election in Edo. Some stakeholders have accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of election malpractice.
The election tribunal, which sat in Abuja, confirmed on Wednesday that APC candidate Monday Okpebholo won the election. It dismissed the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for lack of enough evidence.
The three judges, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, said Okpebholo received the highest number of valid votes and was properly elected.
It can be recalled that a day before the tribunal gave its judgment, a copy of the ruling was leaked online. The leaked version, like the final judgment, also favoured the APC and its candidate.
