*Excludes country in a 3-nation first ever Africa visit by U.S Vice-President, Kamala Harris
*Kamala is on a 7-day diplomatic shuttle that will see her visit Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia
*As U.S extols Ghanaian leader, President Nana Akufo-Addo for his ‘democratic principles’
*White House is yet to formally congratulate Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president-elect on platform of APC
By Okechukwu Jombo
Nigeria’s descent to Africa’s diplomatic minnows is continuing unabated with the United States of America overlooking the country in a three-nation first ever Africa visit by the U.S Vice-President, Kamala Harris.
The US Vice-President is on a seven-day diplomatic shuttle that will see her visit Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia.
Significantly, the U.S overlooked Nigeria, the largest democracy in the African continent in this visit by the Vee-Pee.
It is on record that the White House is yet to formally congratulate Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the aftermath of the February 25 Presidential election, the Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu the winner, while four other political parties which includes; the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) are in court challenging the result.
Almost one month after the declaration of the presidential result most of the influential Western and European nations are yet to send their congratulatory letters to the President-elect.
Only yesterday in Abuja, hundreds of protesters staged a peaceful march over what the organizers said was to defend the mandate of the president-elect as the failure or refusal to congratulate a new Nigerian leader would continue to fuel doubts over his mandate.
Sulaiman Raji, one of the organisers said the protest was to condemn those who have been silent because their action or inaction could put the president-elect’s mandate in jeopardy.
His words: ‘They are refusing to congratulate him and that is why we keep seeing people coming with all manner of attacks on the president-elect’.
While the U.S continues to overlook Nigeria, Vice-President Harris on Monday praised the Ghanaian leader, President Nana Akufo-Addo for his ‘democratic principles’.
Her words: ‘Under your leadership, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and a contributor to global peace’.
Moreover, the U.S promised assistance with security of the nation and increased investment to the tune of $100m in aid.
This weeklong trip would take VP Harris to Tanzania and Zambia as part of the concerted effort to ‘broaden US outreach’.
It will be recalled that former President Barack Obama in 2015 during a similar Africa trip had also visited Ghana and other African countries, but skipped Nigeria.
