‘I’m in disbelief,’ Atiku slams US secretary of state, Blinken, for calling Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed displeasure with Antony Blinken, United States secretary of state over his call to Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect.

Recall that Blinken had disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, that he spoke with Tinubu and expressed willingness to work with his administration.

But Atiku in a tweet on on Wednesday evening, criticized the US official, noting that his call was an endorsement of “sham” election that produced Tinubu in February.

“I am in disbelief that @SecBlinken called Tinubu, a contradiction to the publicly stated position of the US on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election,” Atiku tweeted.

“This is inconceivable considering that America, as the bastion of democracy, is well briefed on the sham election of February 25. To give legitimacy to the widely acknowledged fraudulent election in Nigeria can be demoralising to citizens who have hedged their bet on democracy and the sanctity of the ballot.”

I am in disbelief that @SecBlinken called Tinubu, a contradiction to the publicly stated position of the US on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. This is inconceivable considering that America, as the bastion of democracy, is well briefed on the sham election of February 25.…

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) May 17, 2023