In a move that signals growing international scrutiny, the United States government has reiterated its interest in the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the Edo State governorship election, expressing strong concerns over the credibility of the electoral process and subsequent tribunal judgment.
While the election declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor-elect, independent observers and civil society organisations pointed to widespread inconsistencies. Among their findings were significant arithmetic errors and more than 29,000 ballots that remain unaccounted for.
According to a Friday statement by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, the electoral collation process that led to Mr. Okpebholo’s declaration was marred by “serious lapses.” The Mission emphasized its continued support for transparent and credible democratic processes and noted that it is paying close attention to the unfolding legal proceedings.
Earlier in the week, the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled in favour of Mr. Okpebholo and dismissed the petition brought by other contestant including his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The tribunal concluded that Mr. Ighodalo had not adequately proven allegations of over-voting and electoral malpractice.
Nevertheless, the U.S. Mission cast doubt on the credibility of the ruling, citing findings from the Kimpact Development Initiative, a civil society organisation known for its election integrity reports. Its Ballot Integrity Project noted irregularities in voter accreditation and tallying of results across 141 polling units.
Detailed in the report were discrepancies that showed 29,053 ballots unaccounted for at the polling unit level, with 20,167 of them still missing after final collation. Additionally, the study identified instances of over-voting in 382 polling units, involving a total of 8,887 excess votes.
Mr. Ighodalo has since rejected the tribunal’s decision and confirmed plans to pursue an appeal. He maintains that the election was manipulated in favour of the APC candidate, despite his inauguration as governor.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, reaffirmed his earlier stance that democratic legitimacy hinges on transparency and adherence to due process. “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is following the Edo election appeal process closely, particularly given civil society’s concerns about critical issues related to the election, such as ‘serious lapses in the collation process’ that were observed,” the statement read.
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Reinforcing its commitment to democratic accountability, the United States reminded the public of past consequences for election-related misconduct. The U.S. government has previously imposed visa restrictions on individuals, including politicians and judicial officers, accused of undermining democratic norms. One such instance reportedly involved Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who was allegedly denied a U.S. visa in connection with a controversial 2020 Supreme Court judgment that installed Hope Uzodimma of the APC as governor of Imo State.
As the legal process continues, the U.S. government maintains that it will remain engaged and vigilant, underscoring its unwavering support for electoral integrity, judicial transparency, and democratic governance in Nigeria.
