Guber poll: Anambra people have demonstrated commitment to democracy, says UK

The British High Commission has commended the people of Anambra state for showing “commitment to democracy” during the governorship election.

The commission also congratulated Chukwuma Soludo, governor-elect of Anambra, for his victory at the poll.

INEC, on Wednesday, declared Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), as winner of the Anambra governorship election after he secured 112,229 votes.

In a statement on Thursday, the commission also said it was encouraged by INEC’s use of a “transparent” result viewing portal during the election.

“We offer our congratulations to Prof. Charles Soludo who has been declared winner of the Anambra State governorship election,” the statement reads.

“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.

“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.”

The commission enjoined those dissatisfied with the electoral 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,” the commission added.

The UK also urged 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.