Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, has praised Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s ranking member, for pointing out that Nigeria’s just-concluded presidential election was rife with anomalies.
He also praised Risch for criticizing the US government’s hasty acceptance of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the president-elect despite devastating election observer reports.
Senator Risch had said: “The ongoing electoral process in Nigeria is widely viewed as deeply flawed by the election observers and many Nigerians. It is disappointing to see the administration rush to embrace the result while the full picture of what occurred during this electoral process is yet to be seen.
“I’ve expressed concerns about other areas of our relationship with the Nigerian government. I worry this rush to judgment will undermine our ability to be an effective partner to all Nigerians, especially given their longstanding desire for democracy.”
Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, responded in a statement released yesterday, saying history will be kind to Senator Risch for standing up for the Nigerian people even when it was against the US administration.
“Senator Risch’s name will be etched in the minds of Nigerians forever. Posterity will be kind to him for speaking up at this crucial point in history. His action is reminiscent of the late US Ambassador, Walter Carrington, who acted as an activist, insisting on the June 12 mandate from 1993 to 1997 during the repressive regime of General Sani Abacha.
“Senator Risch has confirmed what objective observers revealed. And that is that the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria was a sham, a usurpation of the will of the people, and a stain on the history of Nigeria.”
Atiku also praised a national newspaper, the Financial Times of London, and the Guardian Newspaper of London for their strongly worded editorials that went into great detail about what transpired during the phony election on February 25.