The United States has commended the conduct of the governorship election in Edo state.

Okpebholo, candidate of the APC was declared the winner of the election held on September 21. INEC said Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP who got 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party came a distant third with 22,763 votes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Richard Mills, US ambassador to Nigeria, said the election was “widely peaceful”. “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria commends the people of Edo State for the widely peaceful conduct of gubernatorial elections on September 21 & reiterates calls for calm following the announcement of results,” the statement reads.

“We commend Governor Obaseki’s appeal for peace and urge all stakeholders, including INEC, to support established electoral processes and respect legal procedures to challenge results. Transparency & due process are crucial to maintaining public confidence in any democratic system.”