President Trump on Monday canceled his planned trip to Nigeria to witness the signing of the peace accord by President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, citing the trip could be “politicized.”
“Over the course of the last several days, and after various conversations with the different stakeholders, it’s become apparent that President Clinton’s visit to Nigeria has the potential to be politicized in a way that is not in line with the goals of the Committee. Therefore, he will not be traveling to Abuja,” Clinton’s spokesman Angel Ureña said in a statement.
He had been set to deliver a keynote speech at a ceremony for the signing of a peace accord by presidential candidates.
Clinton will speak later this week with President Muhammadu Buhari, who is standing for re-election, and his main challenger, Atiku Abubakar, his spokesman said.
Clinton was scheduled to visit the capital, Abuja, this week alongside Baroness Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
It comes hours after the ruling All Progressives Congress had accused the United States Ambassador, Stuart Symington; and other western ambassadors of tacit support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.
