The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard has commended the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party (LP)’s counterpart, Peter Obi for exploring legal option to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls.
She equally commended the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for acknowledging the right of Atiku and Obi to do challenge the result of the poll in court.
In a piece titled, ‘In The Elections of February 25,’ Leonard said the people of Nigeria demonstrated their dedication to democracy on February 25, but there are many angry and frustrated Nigerians as well as many who are celebrating victories they believe were hard-fought and well-earned.
“In the coming days, it will be important for the future of this country that Nigerians not let their differences divide them, and that the legally established process for resolving challenges to the election be allowed to take its course. We commend Mr. Obi and Mr. Abubakar for their recent statements committing to take this path, and Mr. Tinubu, who INEC declared the president-elect under Nigeria’s electoral framework, for acknowledging their right to do so.
“The United States is no stranger to election-related controversy and conflict. As much as it can be unsatisfying to end an electoral process in a courtroom, in a constitutional democracy bound by the rule of law, that is where electoral conflicts may appropriately conclude,” she said.
Leonard said it is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.
“We thus reiterate our call on INEC to address promptly the challenges that can be resolved ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial elections, and to undertake a broader review of the problems that transpired during the last elections and what can be done to fix them. In all cases, INEC should share with the Nigerian public information about the actions it is taking,” she stated.