To give legitimacy to the widely acknowledged fraudulent election in Nigeria can be demoralising to citizens, Atiku told Blinken
By Emma Ogbuehi
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 poll said on Wednesday that he is in disbelief that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, called the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu was declared winner of the controversial poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and will be sworn in on May 29 as the country’s new president.
Both Atiku and Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), are challenging Tinubu’s victory in Court.
However, Blinken says he is committed to further strengthening US-Nigeria partnership with the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Matthew Miller, US department of state spokesperson, said Blinken spoke with Tinubu, who is in France, on Tuesday.
Miller said the two leaders “discussed the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians, continued comprehensive security cooperation, and reforms to support economic growth”.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke this morning with Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emphasize his continued commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration,” the statement reads.
READ ALSO: Ezekwesili labels Buhari ‘ineffectual Commander-in-Chief’
“The Secretary noted that the U.S.-Nigeria partnership is built on shared interests and strong people-to-people ties and that those links should continue to strengthen under President-elect Tinubu’s tenure. Secretary Blinken and President-elect Tinubu discussed the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians, continued comprehensive security cooperation, and reforms to support economic growth.”
The development comes a few days after the US announced the imposition of visa restrictions on Nigerians who allegedly disrupted the recently concluded elections.
The US said the affected persons were involved in voter threats, results manipulation, physical violence, and other activities that undermined democracy.
But Atiku said Blinken’s call shocked him.
“I am in disbelief that @SecBlinken called Tinubu, a contradiction to the publicly stated position of the US on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. This is inconceivable considering that America, as the bastion of democracy, is well briefed on the sham election of February 25. To give legitimacy to the widely acknowledged fraudulent election in Nigeria can be demoralising to citizens who have hedged their bet on democracy and the sanctity of the ballot @StateDept @POTUS @USinNigeria. –AA” Atiku tweeted.