Obi Criticises Blinken’s Call To Tinubu, Urges U.S. To Wait For Court To Decide Winner Of 2023 Poll

Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the call made by the United States Secretary, Antony J. Blinken, to Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Obi said the action is perceived as tacitly taking sides when the legitimacy of the election is being contended, urging the US not to do yet but wait for court to determine true winner of the 2023 presidential poll in Nigeria.

Obi stated this in reaction to the conversation between Blinken and Tinubu.

Blinken had on Tuesday, 16 May spoken with Tinubu and expressed his continued commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration.

According to the U.S. Secretary of State’s Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, Blinken “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,” Killer stated.

The call came 24 hours after Blinken announced the imposition of visa restrictions on Nigerians who were allegedly involved in disruption of the 2023 general elections such as physical violence, voter intimidation and suppression, and other activities that undermined democracy. The identities of the culprits were, however, not made public.

In a series of tweets on Friday morning, Obi said

“There is still a lack of clarity on the basis of the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken’s call to APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 16th May 2023.”

He noted that the most fundamental tenet and core value of democracy is the rule of law which Nigeria’s democracy is founded on and the United States strongly upholds.

READ ALSO: Obi At Chatham House: We’ll Dismantle Structure Of Corruption In Nigeria

On the basis of that, Obi said: “Nigerians expect that the U.S. responses to our affairs should be based on mutual respect, shared ideals, aspirations and interests which ought to transcend the considerations of any individual.”

The former Anambra State governor, further stressed that since the outcome of the 25 February presidential election is being challenged in court, the United States as “a beacon of democracy, should not respond to political developments in Nigeria in a manner that faintly suggests taking sides.”

“There is an evolving political and judicial process around the last presidential election in Nigeria. We expect the United States to await the full resolution of the ongoing judicial processes before tacitly conferring legitimacy on any of the contending parties.

“The final determination of the true winner of the election can only be made by the relevant courts of law. More so, the issues in judicial contention imply far-reaching violations of both the Nigerian Electoral Law and the Nigerian Constitution,” Obi added.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, earlier expressed outrage over the conversation between Blinken and Tinubu, describing it as “demoralising.”

The former vice president, said it was to his utmost surprise that the US secretary of state would put a call across to Tinubu considering the outcome of the last presidential election.

According to him such was a clear contradiction from the United States position on the 2023 polls in Nigeria.

“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,’’ Atiku wrote on his official Twitter handle on Wednesday.