Our reporter/ Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, has asked the United States government to wait for the verdict of the presidential election petitions tribunal before legitimising Bola Tinubu’s victory.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the former Lagos State governor winner of the February 15 presidential election.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken had on Tuesday called Tinubu and pledged to strengthen the relations between the US and Nigeria.
But in a series of tweets on Friday, Obi said the basis of the telephone conversation between Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, and Bola Tinubu, president-elect, is unclear.
According to him, the US should wait for the presidential election tribunal’s verdict before conferring legitimacy.
“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. The most fundamental tenet and core value of democracy is the rule of law,” Obi tweeted.
“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 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.
“Contextually, 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.”
The former governor of Anambra said 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,” he added.
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