US Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard said the February 25 presidential polls fell short of Nigerians’ expectations. She acknowledged that many citizens are angry and frustrated with the results, while others are celebrating victories they consider hard‑fought and well‑earned. Leonard praised Nigerians for their commitment to democracy and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly address resolvable challenges before the March 11 gubernatorial elections, as well as to conduct a broader review of the problems that arose during the recent elections and propose solutions. She also called on INEC to inform the public about the actions it is taking.
In an op‑ed titled “The Elections of February 25,” Leonard commended Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar for choosing the legal route to contest the presidential election, and she noted that president‑elect Bola Tinubu has recognized their right to do so. She wrote, “The people of Nigeria demonstrated their dedication to democracy on February 25, but there are many angry and frustrated Nigerians as well as many who are celebrating victories they believe were hard‑fought and well‑earned. In the coming days, it will be important for the future of this country that Nigerians not let their differences divide them, and that the legally established process for resolving challenges to the election be allowed to take its course.” Leonard added that, while it can be unsatisfying to end an electoral process in a courtroom, a constitutional democracy bound by the rule of law may appropriately conclude electoral conflicts in that manner.
Leonard observed that Nigeria’s electoral landscape is “indisputably” changing. Regarding the presidential and National Assembly results, she noted that more than half of the states—20 in total—elected a winning candidate from a different party than the incumbent governor, with twelve of those states led by APC governors. For the first time, four presidential candidates each won at least one state, and the top three candidates each secured 12 states based on the initial results. In the National Assembly elections, despite incomplete results, early signs indicate significant shifts: seven sitting governors lost in their bids for Assembly seats; the Labor Party secured at least seven Senate seats; and the NNPP won at least 11 seats in the House of Representatives. Leonard concluded by assuring Nigerians that “as Nigeria goes through these next weeks and months, we stand with you.”
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