US Secretary of States Antony Blinken Pledges Stronger Ties With Nigeria In Call With Tinubu

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a 20-minute telephone conversation with Nigeria's president-elect Bola Tinubu, where they discussed about strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

President-elect's office issued a statement on Wednesday, following the call that took place on Tuesday, noting that the call was initiated by the U.S. diplomat, adding that it was a "frank and friendly" conversation, Vanguard reported.

"The President-elect said his immediate priorities would be to deliver institutional reforms and development programs to deepen our democratic institutions and bring help to poor and vulnerable Nigerians," the statement mentioned.

Tinubu also shared how determined he is to strengthen the democracy of the country and serve the people of Nigeria faithfully as his term as president is set to begin on May 29.

"President-elect Tinubu recalled being granted asylum by the U.S. when he was forced into exile during his struggle for the restoration of democracy in Nigeria, and, while reaffirming his democratic bona fides, expressed his absolute belief that the result of the elections, which he clearly won, reflected the will of the Nigerian people," it stated.

The president-elect asked the U.S. to provide assistance in several areas including security and financial investment. In return, Blinken also assured Tinubu that Nigeria "should expect a good and mutually-beneficial relationship with the U.S."

The States Secretary also promised that he will play his part in order to ensure that there is a "cordial relationship" between the United States and Nigeria, noting that having a democratic and peaceful Nigeria is important to the United States as much as it is important to Africa.

"Both President-elect Tinubu and Secretary Blinken ended their discussion with pleasant greetings and a promise to keep the channels of dialogue and communication open, whilst maintaining a strong relationship between the two nations," the statement added.

The official website of the U.S. State Department shared a statement on Tuesday, titled, "Secretary Blinken's Call with Nigerian President-elect Tinubu."

U.S. State Department's spokesperson, Matthew Miller said that the Secretary of State spoke with Nigerian President-elect to "emphasize" on "further strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration."

According to the statement, the partnership between the countries is built on shared interest and strong people-to-people ties and should continue to strengthen under President-elect Tinubu's tenure.

On the call, they also discussed "the importance of inclusive leadership that represents all Nigerians, continued comprehensive security cooperation, and reforms to support economic growth."

While the United States has assured support to Nigeria in the recent call, the government of the United States has imposed a visa ban on specific Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during Nigeria's 2023 elections cycle earlier this week.

Last week, Tinubu left Nigeria ahead of his presidential inauguration, which is supposed to be held on May 29. The president-elect has been making headlines since his victory and has been challenged in the court by Labour Party's Peter Obi.