The United Kingdom has felicitated with President Muhammadu Buhari on his electoral victory in the Saturday’s presidential election.
A statement from the UK’s minister of state for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, said the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is consistent with Parallel Voters Tabulation (PVT) employed by the civil society for the election.
Ma Baldwin said through the poll, “The Nigerian people have demonstrated resilience and a commitment to democracy”.
The UK government called on political actors aggrieved by the election’s outcome to seek redress within the ambits of the law while ensuring peace and harmony.
“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.”
The statement also condoled with families who lost their lives in the course of the elections.
“No one should die in the exercise of their democratic rights,” Ms Baldwin added.
She pledged the UK’s contribution “to support Nigeria and its civil society in drawing lessons from these elections and strengthening its democracy.”
Meanwhile, more a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President explained that African leaders have sent congratulatory messages to President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election.
King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco described President Buhari’s victory as an affirmation of the level of confidence Nigerians have in their President and promised to work with him to advance the interests of both countries.
‘‘Your re-election is a testimony to the level of confidence that you enjoy among the people of Nigeria, attributable to your wisdom, experience in politics, sense of engagement and devotion to the service and the protection of the interests of the country especially as they relate to the prosperity, wellbeing and security of your people,” King Mohammed VI said in his congratulatory message.
The monarch expressed satisfaction with the existing cordial and fraternal African relationship linking the two leaders, their people, and nations.
He reiterated his determination to work in concert with President Buhari to reinforce the mutually beneficial relationship between Morocco and Nigeria and to give it a new impetus to serve as a model on the African continent.
President Alpha Omar Conde of Guinea also extended his congratulations, describing the re-election of President Buhari as a dose of hope for the West African region.
Professor Conde expressed confidence that the cordial relations between Nigeria and Guinea will continue to get better.
Earlier, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, who was the first leader to call President Buhari minutes after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the 2019 presidential elections, said he looked forward to working with the Nigerian leader to further strengthen Nigeria-Niger relations.
President Buhari has also received congratulatory messages from Presidents Nana Koffi-Addo of Ghana and Macky Sall of Senegal.
