Bill Clinton, former US president, has cancelled his planned visit to Nigeria ahead of February 16 general elections.
Okay Nigeria had reported that Clinton was scheduled to visit the capital, Abuja, this week alongside Baroness Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
However, the visit was cancelled saying it could be “politicized.”
The visited was arranged by the Kofi Annan Foundation and the National Peace Committee (NPC).
This development was revealed in a statement by Clinton’s spokesman Angel Ureña.
The statement reads, “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 travelling to Abuja.”
The statement added that Clinton would continue to support the NPC ‘s work toward peaceful and fair elections in Nigeria.
“This is a crucial time in Nigeria, and President Clinton is hopeful that the election’s outcome reflects the will of the Nigerian people,” his spokesman said.
Similarly, Clinton will speak later this week with President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for re-election, and his opposition, Atiku Abubakar, his spokesman said.