Premium Times reports that the Moroccan monarch, King Mohammed VI, has rejected a request from President Goodluck Jonathan for a telephone conversation, saying it was an "inappropriate" move by the the President to seek electoral favour just weeks before the Presidential poll.
King Mohammed VI
Mohammed VI snubbed Mr. Jonathan's request last week, saying it was more of an attempt to seek electoral favour than a genuine diplomatic act, the country's foreign ministry said Friday.
"The request by Nigerian authorities for a phone conversation between HM King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President was refused by the Monarch who deemed it inappropriate on grounds of the upcoming elections in Nigeria," the Moroccan Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement.
The statement explained that the monarch rejected the request for a phone chat and the sending of a Nigerian envoy to the country because Mohammed VI viewed the overture as an attempt by Mr. Jonathan to take advantage of Morocco's influence to secure Muslim votes in the forthcoming election.
READ ALSO: Shocker! New Details Emerge On GEJ's Bribe To Pastors
Confronted by an increasingly popular opposition, in perhaps the closest election in Nigerian history, Mr. Jonathan is frantically exploring unusual avenues for support, particularly from the largely Muslim northern region of the country.
Mr. Jonathan's closest rival, Muhammadu Buhari, comes from Northern Nigeria and has a cult following in the region. A move to patch the diplomatic relation with the influential Moroccan monarch is seen as a potentially impressive step that may endear the president to some Muslims.
Relations between Nigeria and Morocco have been anything but cordial for years, largely over Nigeria's decision to support the independence of the Western Sahara region of Morocco.
It will be recalled that a list of Islamic clerics who were allegedly bribed for being supportive towards the President Jonathan campaign to be re-elected into office.
No comments:
Post a Comment