Reactions have continued to trail President Joe Biden’s commendation of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for deepening democracy in Nigeria.
The American President had in a meeting with the Nigerian President and his counterparts from Sierra Leone, Gabon, Madagascar, Congo Democratic Republic and Liberia, singled out Buhari for praise not only for his sustaining democracy in Nigeria but across the African continent.
Biden “praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in deepening democracy not only in Nigeria but also in Africa,” a statement signed on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, read.
Reacting to the development, the spokesman of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Charles Aniagwu, said the commendation is an indication that Nigeria is on the right track.
“The PDP started the process of deepening democracy by coming up with electoral reforms. Thankfully, the President has carried on with this process. Do not forget that he has also promised not to interfere with the 2023 election, saying that he would like to bequeath a legacy of free and credible elections to Nigeria.
“We are happy that for the first time, the international community is seeing something good in Nigeria but the PDP birthed that process,” he said.
Presidential candidate of the African Action Alliance, Omoyele Sowore however said Biden was only being diplomatic to his guests.
“It is called diplomatese, the type of language or jargon used by diplomats, thought to be excessively complicated, cautious, or vague,” he said, adding that “The State Department annual reports have consistently cited (Major General) Buhari as a violator of human rights.”
Sharing the same perspective, the National Secretary of the Young Progressive Party, Vidiyeno Bamaiyi, said democracy started dying gradually when the current president took over power.
Also speaking, National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Oye said the American President is at liberty to express himself as he deems fit.
Reacting, however, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, said the opposition is always attempting to seek attention even when it wasn’t necessary.
Keyamo said, “What we know is that Biden congratulated Buhari, not the PDP. We are taking the statement from Biden literally as of today. The PDP is just attempting to adulterate what the US president said and that is what we are sticking to.
“We all know that the worst election in the history of Nigeria was conducted under the PDP. Jonathan didn’t do anything extraordinary. He was defeated and left power. So what legacy are they talking about?”
