The United States (US) Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, noted that the February 25 Presidential Election failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
The election left many Nigerians angry and frustrated, the ambassador said in a statement issued on Sunday, March 5.
“It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on February 25 failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations,” the US envoy observed.
She said that the poll was riddled with irregularities that affected the voting and counting process.
Also, she asked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the range of problems that marred the election before the March 11 governorship and state assembly polls.
According to her, INEC should provide the citizens with information on solutions adopted and their level of effectiveness.
“We thus reiterate our call on INEC to address promptly the challenges that can be resolved ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial elections and to undertake a broader review of the problems that transpired during the last elections and what can be done to fix them.
“In all cases, INEC should share with the Nigerian public information about its actions.”
This, according to her, would ensure a positive growth trend for Nigeria’s democracy.
“Nigeria has accomplished much in just two decades since the return to democracy. A gradual improvement in the quality of its elections in that time constitutes one of those accomplishments. We recognise that Nigerians want that positive trend to continue, including using new technology to make reporting results more transparent.”
 Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, noted that the February 25 Presidential Election failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians){kind=link}