A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the telephone conversation between the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
OsunDaily News reported that Bliken phoned Tinubu on Tuesday to assure him that the Joe Biden administration is committed to strengthening ties with Nigeria and his government.
In a statement released by the Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Matthew Miller, Blinken told Tinubu that the U.S.-Nigeria partnership is built on shared interests and strong people-to-people ties and that those links should continue strengthening under Tinubu’s tenure.
Miller added that Bliken and Tinubu discussed the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians and reforms to support the economic growth of Nigeria.
The development came 24 hours after the Joe Biden administration announced the imposition of visa restrictions on Nigerians who undermined the democratic process during the 2023 elections.
Reacting to the development in a chat with The Punch, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor urged Tinubu not to be deceived by the call from Bliken, adding that the call is not an endorsement of his person or victory.
Osadolor argued that the phone call from the US Secretary of State could not legitimise Tinubu’s election victory which he said would likely be nullified by the court.
He said, “Tinubu and his co-travelers should not be fooled by the phone call from the Secretary of State of the United States government. It is not an endorsement of his person or his hotly contested and smeared purported victory.
‘’Rather, the United States government knows the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with the powerhouse of Africa in its current challenge as the world superpower. With the BRICS nation at its jugular economically, China at her tail economically, militarily, and technologically and the top spot of world power, it makes sense for the USA to be looking for strategic allies around the globe and make no mistake, in the community of nations.’’
“Nigeria is no pushover! So, the relationship with Nigeria, her people, and her leaders is key. The only thing is that they (the US) only called a temporary or stop-gap president who, if things go as expected, will most likely be vacated by the court of the land. So, Mr Tinubu will do well not to delude himself into thinking he is now legitimized by the phone call.”
