The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed disbelief over the telephone call by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the call Tuesday evening, Tinubu and Blinken promised to ensure continued good relationship between the United States and Nigeria.
It would be recalled that Atiku has refused to accept Tinubu as the true winner of the presidential election and has taken legal action claiming that he (Atiku) was the winner.
He said the call by Blinken amounted to the US giving legitimacy to an election which he believed was fraught with irregularities.
Reacting to the telephone call by Blinken to Tinubu, Atiku on his Twitter handle tweeted: “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.”
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FrontPage reports that during the conversation, the President-elect said his immediate priorities would be to deliver institutional reforms and development programmes to deepen our democratic institutions and bring help to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
He also expressed his determination to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and faithfully serve the people as their president.
The talks lasted about 20 minutes.
Tinubu recalled being granted asylum by the US when he was forced on exile during his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria, and, while reaffirming his democratic bona fides, expressed his absolute belief that the result of the elections, which he clearly won, reflected the will of the Nigerian people.
He further urged the US to factor in Nigeria’s important place in Africa and provide needed assistance in the areas of security and economic investment in order for the nation to lead the way and be a shining example to the rest of the continent.
Secretary Blinken assured that Nigeria should expect a good and mutually-beneficial relationship with the US.
He promised to play his part in ensuring and sustaining a cordial relationship between the two nations, saying a democratic and peaceful Nigeria is important to the United States as it is to Africa.
Both President-elect Tinubu and Secretary Blinken ended their discussion with pleasant greetings and a promise to keep the channels of dialogue and communication open, whilst maintaining a strong relationship between the two nations.
