THE United States (US) and some other countries have congratulated Bola Tinubu on his inauguration as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria on Monday, May 29.
The US government pledged to support and work with Buhari to advance economic growth, security and promote respect for human rights.
In a statement released on Monday, via the official Whitehouse website, President Joe Biden stated that the connections between Nigeria and the US run deep.
The statement read: “On behalf of the people of the United States, I send warm wishes to the government and people of Nigeria as they inaugurate a new President.
“My administration has worked to strengthen ties between the United States and Nigeria, and I look forward to continuing this work with President Tinubu to support economic growth, advance security, and promote respect for human rights.
“The people-to-people connections between our two countries run particularly deep, nurtured by a vibrant Nigerian Diaspora in the United States. As we further deepen our partnership with Nigeria, I look forward to drawing even more on the ideas and energy of this dynamic connection between our countries. As Africa’s largest democracy and economy, Nigeria’s success is the world’s success.
“Elected leaders owe it to their people to show that democracy can deliver for their needs. And the United States will continue to work closely with Nigeria, as a friend and partner, to deliver a more peaceful and prosperous future for our world.”
Some other countries were reported to have pledged their support to Tinubu’s administration.
The countries include the United Kingdom, South Korea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan,Cape Verde, Brazil, Somalia and Nicaragua.
This was as disclosed in a statement issued on Monday, May 29, by the President’s media officer, Tunde Rahman.
According to the statement, the letters were presented to Tinubu by special envoys and heads of missions of the countries shortly after his inauguration as President.
The United Kingdom’s new High Commissioner to Nigeria Richard Montgomery officially handed over the goodwill letters from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, King Charles and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
The South Korean delegation also sought advanced relations between the two countries while delivering a letter of invitation from the country’s President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The Japanese special envoy of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also expressed the country’s willingness to support Tinubu.
Similarly, the Saudi Arabian delegation, on its part, pledged support through a goodwill message issued by the Saudi Royal House.
Other countries who congratulated and pledged support to Tinubu are Israeli Brazil, Somali, Cape Verde and Nicaragua.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M