State Secretary of the United States, Antony J. Blinken, has promised Nigerian President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that President Joe Biden’s administration will ensure strong diplomatic partnership with Nigeria.
Blinken disclosed this conversation in a public statement. He revealed that he had been on the telephone with the President-elect, discussing how to fortify inclusive governance in Nigeria. He said:
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke this morning with Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emphasise his continued commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration.
“The Secretary noted that the U.S.-Nigeria partnership is built on shared interests and strong people-to-people ties and that those links should continue to strengthen under President-elect Tinubu’s tenure.
“Secretary Blinken and President-elect Tinubu discussed the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians, continued comprehensive security cooperation, and reforms to support economic growth.”
INEC’s declaration of Bola Tinubu’s victory as winner of the Presidential polls and President-elect had met various oppositions from political, social and foreign entities. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), amongst others, had called for the cancellation of the election. According to the agitators, the results were tainted with irregularities connected with the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS).
According to the Secretary, the U.S.-Nigeria relationship is built on common interests and strong people-to-people ties. He emphasized that such ties should continue to grow under the incoming Nigerian administration.
The statement added that Blinken and President-elect Tinubu talked about the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians, continued comprehensive security cooperation, and reforms to support economic growth. Currently in Europe, though, Tinubu will be sworn into office on 29th May.
