The White House has received petitions by US citizens from 20 states invoking the right to secession following last week's re-election of President Barack Obama for a second term in office.

The arguments for secession come from a wide range: from Obama's alleged abuse of presidential power with security regulations, to his alleged "socialist" policies, to the local people's frustration with federal politics and legislation and desire for independence from Washington.

While such petitions are said to be normal practice after each presidential election in the US, the number of petitioners signed is believed to be significant.

Texas, where Obama lost the presidential vote by some 15%, is leading the secessionist ranks, with close to 30,000 people having already signed the petition for independence.

Per statute, the White House is obliged to give consideration to a petition, if it gathers more than 25,000 signatures for a month.

Other states which have mustered strong support for secession are Louisiana (more than 17,000 signatures), Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee (7,000-8,000 each).

Some petitions have even come from states in which Obama won, like Michigan and New York.