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Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday expressed displeasure over the phone call by the United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, to President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying Blinken’s action contradicted the earlier position of U.S. Government on Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports
that Blinken, had on Monday
disclosed that the U.S.Government
had imposed visa restrictions on those that aided , participated in election rigging in the last polls.
Atiku, said the conversation gives legitimacy to the election, adding that the U.S. as a promoter of democracy should not legitimise as democratic the February 25 presidential poll which is being
contested at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, sitting in Abuja.
Reacting yesterday of the U.S.
official’s phone call to Tinubu, Atiku, via his Facebook page said,
“I am in disbelief that Secretary Antony Blinken 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. U.S. Department of State President Joe Biden U.S. Mission Nigeria.”
However, a press statement from
the U.S. State Department disclosed that Blinken spoke with Tinubu, emphasising continued commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
The statement attributed to
Spokesperson Matthew Miller,
indicated 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”.
However, the President-elect
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the conversation that lasted about 20 minutes sought the full support of the U.S. Government, pledged to be president of all the citizens irrespective of ethnicity and religion. He also reminisce about his education in the U.S. at Chicago where he bagged his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and the asylum granted to him by the U.S Government during the Abacha days and struggle to enthrone democratic government. Tinubu informed the U.S. that he will hit the ground running by uniting the country and reforming the institutions of government, fight poverty and provide jobs to the teeming youth population.