Atiku Tackles US Secretary of State for Speaking with Tinubu
- Former VP Atiku Abubakar criticised the US phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President-elect Bola Tinubu, describing it as "demoralizing"
- The PDP presidential candidate alleged that the call means acknowledgement of a "fraudulent election" in Nigeria.
- Atiku expressed disbelief and dissatisfaction with the call, highlighting an alleged contradiction between the US's public position on the election and the conversation
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FCT, Abuja - Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed disbelief and criticism over the telephone conversation between United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Nigeria's President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections described the call as "demoralizing" and accused the US of acknowledging a "fraudulent election" in Nigeria.
Source: Facebook
Blinken's call and Tinubu's promises
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with President-elect Tinubu to reiterate the US commitment to strengthening the US-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration.
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During the call, Tinubu assured Blinken of his determination to unify the country and establish positive relations with the United States.
He also emphasised his immediate priorities of institutional reforms, development programmes, and serving the people faithfully as their president.
Tinubu's past and American asylum
During their 20-minute conversation, Tinubu also discussed his experience in the United States in the 1970s, where he graduated with honours as an accountant in 1979.
He also recalled being granted asylum by the US due to his advocacy for democracy in Nigeria, which led to his exile during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.
How Atiku reacted
Atiku, who was Tinubu's challenger in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, expressed disbelief and dissatisfaction with the phone call in a tweet on his Twitter page.
He said there was a contradiction between the US's publicly stated position on Nigeria's election and the phone conversation, stating that legitimizing the widely acknowledged fraudulent election could demoralize citizens who believe in democracy and the sanctity of the ballot.
The tweet reads:
"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"
2023 elections dispute and legal challenge
Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor, was declared the president-elect after receiving 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election.
However, both Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, rejected the results and claimed victory. They are currently in court, challenging the election outcome.
US call to Tinubu sparks outrage as PDP, Labour Party kick
Meanwhile, the main opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) are not pleased with the phone conversation between the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Tinubu.
The PDP said Blinken's pledge to Tinubu to strengthen bilateral relations contradicts the position of the US on the general election in Nigeria.
Similarly, the Labour Party, through the chief spokesman for Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, described the phone conversation between Tinubu and Blinken as worrisome.
Source: Legit.ng
