Why Obama should attend Buhari inauguration

SIR: Last month, Nigeria completed its election

process in a peaceful and transparent manner.

While the U.S. applauded this positive feat, our

involvement cannot conclude just yet. In fact, in

some ways, it is only just the beginning – which is

why I strongly urge President Barack Obama to

attend the inauguration of President-Elect

Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.

President Obama’s presence at this historic

inauguration would send the right signal at the

right time. This election was a landmark victory for

democracy in Africa and for struggling people

elsewhere around the world, and his participation

would make a powerful statement of hope and

renewal. Nigeria is in the balance. While it is

dealing with a brutal terrorism campaign in the

north, and multiple other development challenges

elsewhere across the country – still it is the

largest economy in a very important part of the

world and – is poised to achieve much more in the

years ahead.

Nigerians are well aware that President Obama

bypassed their country on two previous visits to

Africa. Many excused him believing his decision was

based on the fact that the U.S. saw limited

progress on democratic processes. They were also

mindful of the issues surrounding corruption along

with the fierce security threats posed by Boko

Haram.

But conditions on the ground have since changed

dramatically. There is now a new “hope” and a

different landscape in Nigeria that would be

communicated clearly if President Obama were to

attend the inauguration. His presence may well

provide the spark needed to reenergise and

refocus U.S-Nigeria relations, a partnership that

appears to have stumbled in recent times.

We have a huge stake in what happens in Nigeria.

Credit for the successful elections rightly belongs

to the Nigerian people, but they are the first to

admit the United States provided strong support

to the electoral process. This explains why

President-Elect Buhari, in his victory speech,

promptly expressed the gratitude of the Nigerian

people to the U.S. and other international

partners. He also pledged to engage the

governments of partner countries, such as the U.S,

in tackling Nigeria’s numerous challenges.

The Presidential inauguration ceremony will be a

defining moment for Nigeria’s maturing

democracy. This day will be a call for Nigerians and

their foreign friends and partners to demonstrate

the strength and promise of their collective

commitment to democracy.

It is better to embrace and validate this new

budding freedom in Nigeria than the leader of the

world’s most prestigious democracy – the United

States.