UK Congratulates Buhari, Says Nigerians ‘Can Have Confidence In The Result’

The United Kingdom has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the presidential election. This is coming from the UK Minister of State for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the President the winner of the keenly contested poll on Wednesday. She said,

“I offer my congratulations to President Buhari on securing a second term as the Nigerian President. “The UK is a long-standing friend and partner of Nigeria and the Nigerian people, and a stable and prosperous Nigeria benefits Africa and the world.” The minister also commended the outcome of the election which she said tallied with the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process. She advised Nigerians to trust the election and urged those who feel aggrieved to seek redress through the legal process. “The Nigerian people have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy,” Baldwin state, adding, “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.” She added,

“However, we also recognise that independent Nigerian voices have expressed concerns about the conduct of the electoral process, in particular logistics and results collation, and reports of intimidation of election officials. “We urge any party or individual who wishes to challenge the process to do so peacefully and through the appropriate legal channel and we encourage Nigerian authorities to examine all allegations of wrongdoing carefully, and take the necessary action against individuals found responsible.” Baldwin further condoled with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in election-related violence. According to her, no one should die in the exercise of their democratic rights. The minister said the UK would continue to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from the elections and strengthening its democracy.