By David Lawani
The United Kingdom has congratulated Professor Charles Soludo and his Deputy for winning the November 6th governorship election in Anambra State.
The congratulatory message which was contained in a British High Commission statement titled, “‘UK Statement On Anambra Governorship Election” commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the election results released are consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Voter Tabulation process carried out by YIAGA Africa.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing maintained that “credible and inclusive elections are fundamental to Nigeria’s democratic growth”.
The UK charged INEC and all stakeholders to continue to improve the electoral system and to ensure meaningful participation of young people, women, and citizens generally in the democratic process.
The statement further said: “We offer our congratulations to Prof. Charles Soludo who has been declared winner of the Anambra State governorship election. We note that the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission are consistent with the results obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process carried out by YIAGA Africa.
“Our mission, which observed the preparations for the poll, acknowledges the collective effort of stakeholders in the conduct of the election. The people of Anambra have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy.
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“We recognize 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.
“As a long-standing partner of the Nigerian people, the UK will continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and the deepening of its democracy, including the integrity of its elections”.
