Nigeria elections: Atiku mocks APC for ‘begging’ Joe Biden to congratulate Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar has mocked the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for “seeking endorsements” after the February 25 election in Nigeria.

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the APC of begging United States President Joe Biden to congratulate Bola Tinubu.

The APC PCC Director of New Media, Femi Fani-Kayode, said though the U.S. State Department had greeted Tinubu, there was a need for Biden to do the same.

“It’s time for Joe (Biden) to pick up the phone and add his voice. We are a big nation, we deserve no less,” Fani-Kayode tweeted.

In a statement on Thursday, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu said the former Minister’s remarks were “evidence of desperation”.

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Shaibu described FFK’s action as “appalling”, advising even Tinubu and his team to “stop forcing foreign countries to recognise the sham election conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”.

The aide said after being “the beneficiary of the worst and most fraudulent election in the history of Nigeria, Tinubu and his ilk are now running from pillar to post, begging Western powers to recognise him”.

Shaibu recalled the days of Sani Abacha days “where the maximum ruler tried to ingratiate himself with the West after refusing to recognise M.K.O. Abiola as the winner of June 12 election”.

He noted that the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard stated expressly that the country’s general poll was below the expectation of Nigerians.

“Several credible media houses locally and internationally, as well as EU observers, have all questioned the credibility of this election. Yet, Tinubu and his ilk want a stamp of approval on it? What a joke!,” the statement added.

Two days after the presidential election, the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the National Democratic Institute, NDI, joint mission declared INEC lacked transparency during the exercise.