Peter Obi Reacts To US Extention Of Fellowship To Tinubu, Says Let Court Decide Nigeria’s President

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate for president in the recently held general election, has criticized the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s call to President-elect Bola Tinubu, saying that he should let the court decide who is the legal leader of Nigeria.

In response to the interaction between Tinubu and Blinken on Friday, Obi made this statement in a series of tweets on his verified Twitter account.

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Obi charged the US to await the full resolution of the ongoing judicial processes before tacitly conferring legitimacy on any contending party.

According to him, “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.”

“More so, the issues in judicial contention imply far-reaching violations of both the Nigerian Electoral Law and the Nigerian Constitution,” he maintained.