Festus Keyamo, the spokesperson of the re-election campaign of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday mocked the Donald Trump-led United Sates government over the latest Transparency International report which shows the United States dropped a few steps in the Corruption Perception Index.
Keyamo in a tweet, said the recent visit to the United States by Nigeria’s leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar after a ‘special waiver’ resulted in the United States’ decline in the 2018 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
“Anything that gravitates towards Atiku is always tainted with corruption. Now, the US gives him a ‘special waiver’ as a candidate to come in for a few days and see the result”, Keyamo said.
Anything that gravitates towards Atiku is always tainted with corruption. Now, the US gives him a ‘special waiver’ as a candidate to come in for a few days and see the result???????? https://t.co/PUhTJq4KXf
— Festus Keyamo, SAN (@fkeyamo) January 29, 2019
Recall that the United States and the United Kingdom had announced sanctions which include visa restrictions against individuals who get involved in election interference and election-related violence in Nigeria ahead of February’s presidential polls.
Following the suspension of Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union in separate statements expressed concern over the implication of such a critical decision on the credibility of the forthcoming presidential elections.
The Nigerian Presidency in an official statement reminded the United States and other concerned nations that “Nigeria reserves the right to be insulated from suggestions and or interference with respect to wholly internal affairs and commends international laws, customs and norms that mandate and require nations and the comity to respect this prerogative to all”.
On Monday, Adams Oshiomole, the National Chairman of President Buhari’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ramped up hostility against international concerns over the suspension of the country’s top judge, stating, “Nigeria is not a colony. We will not accept any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria.”
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