Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Peter Obi has hit out at the United States after Secretary of the State, Antony J. Blinken called President-elect Bola Tinubu, pledging stronger ties and cooperation ahead of his inauguration on May 29.
Obi on his official Twitter handle on Friday chidedBlinken, saying the United States should have waited for the of the ongoing judicial processes before tacitly conferring legitimacy on any contending party.
He said as the bastion of democracy, the US should have encouraged the judicial process.
He said, “There is still a lack of clarity on the basis of the US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken’s call to APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 16, 2023.
“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.”
