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 Nigerian leader to curry electoral
favour just weeks before a crucial poll.
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.
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.
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