2023 Election: Peter Obi Describes The Call By The US Secretary Of State To Tinubu As Demoralizing

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate for president in the recently held general election, has criticized the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s call to President-elect Bola Tinubu, saying that he should let the court decide who is the legal leader of Nigeria.

Obi responded to the Friday chat between Tinubu and Blinken in a series of tweets on his verified Twitter account.

Blinken promised tighter relations between the US and Nigeria during a 20-minute phone chat to Tinubu on Tuesday, according to The PUNCH.

However, the call sparked responses from the opposing sides. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called the exchange between Blinken and Tinubu “demoralizing.”

“It is thus of overarching importance that a beacon of democracy like the United States should not respond to political developments in Nigeria in a manner that faintly suggests taking sides.

“The final determination of the true winner of the election can only be made by the relevant courts of law,” he added.

“The most fundamental tenet and core value of democracy is the rule of law.

“Nigeria’s democracy is founded on these principles which the American people hold dear. Without the risk of interfering in Nigeria’s domestic affairs, the U.S.-Nigeria relationship should be guided by the core values of democracy.

“Above all, Nigerians expect that the US responses to our affairs should be based on mutual respect, shared ideals, aspirations and interests which ought to transcend the considerations of any individual,” Obi wrote.

The former Anambra governor added that the “willful manipulation and falsification of the will of Nigerians as freely expressed during the February 25 elections cannot be overlooked by the true friends and partners of Nigeria.”

“More so, the issues in judicial contention imply far-reaching violations of both the Nigerian Electoral Law and the Nigerian Constitution,” he maintained.