- Advises aggrieved parties to exploit legal options
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The United Kingdom on Wednesday joined other world leaders to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the just concluded presidential election.
The Minister of State for Africa Harriett Baldwin, in a congratulatory message contained in a statement released to journalists, said the outcome of the election has demonstrated the resilience and a commitment of the Nigerian people to democracy.
“I offer my congratulations to President Buhari on securing a second term as the Nigerian President”, Baldwin said, describing the UK as a long-standing friend and partner of Nigeria and the Nigerian people.
While noting that a stable and prosperous Nigeria would benefit Africa and the world, he said: “The Nigerian people have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy. The result declared by the Nigerian election commission is consistent with the result obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process.
“Along with our international partners, the UK believes the Nigerian people can have confidence in the result.”
The minister however said that the UK was not unmindful of the independent Nigerian voices that have expressed concerns about the conduct of the electoral process, in particular logistics and results collation, and reports of intimidation of election officials.
To this end, the statement appealed to any party or individual who wishes to challenge the process to do so peacefully and through the appropriate legal channel.
The statement on the other hand encouraged the federal government to examine all allegations of wrongdoing carefully, and take the necessary action against individuals found responsible.
“My thoughts are also with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in election-related violence. No one should die in the exercise of their democratic rights. We will continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and strengthening its democracy,” the statement added.
