Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticized the telephone conversation between United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President-elect Bola Tinubu, characterizing it as "demoralizing." Abubakar argued that the call indicated that the US was acknowledging a "fraudulent election" in Nigeria. The call, which took place on Tuesday, saw Blinken reiterating his commitment to strengthening the US-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration. Tinubu assured Blinken of his determination to unify the country and establish positive relations with the United States upon assuming office on May 29. He also expressed his priorities of implementing institutional reforms, and development programs and serving the Nigerian people faithfully.
During the conversation, Tinubu shared details of his past experiences in the United States, including his successful graduation as an accountant in 1979 and his granting of asylum due to his struggle for democracy in Nigeria during General Sani Abacha's military regime. However, Abubakar expressed disbelief regarding the phone call, given the US's earlier stance on the Nigerian election. In a tweet, the former vice president and People's Democratic Party presidential candidate emphasized that recognizing the fraudulent election could undermine citizens' trust in democracy and the integrity of the ballot.
Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, 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 are currently challenging the election outcome in court, each claiming victory in the election.
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