Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following Nigeria’s exclusion from a forthcoming high-profile U.S.-Africa summit being hosted by former American President Donald Trump.
The summit, scheduled for July 9 at the White House, will welcome leaders from five African countries—Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—for talks focused on commercial partnerships. Notably absent from the list is Nigeria, long regarded as Africa’s diplomatic heavyweight and a major player in continental affairs.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the snub as a damning indictment of President Tinubu’s leadership and a stark symbol of Nigeria’s diminishing relevance on the global stage.
“This exclusion is a verdict. A scathing symbolism. A staggering implication,” Shaibu said.
Atiku blamed what he called the "chaotic" nature of Tinubu’s presidency for the country’s diplomatic isolation. He said the development reflects a collapse of Nigeria’s standing in international affairs and a failure of leadership that has left the nation marginalised in critical conversations about Africa’s future.
The former vice president particularly pointed to Tinubu’s tenure as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), during which the bloc saw a reduction in membership from 15 to 12 following the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
“How do we explain it? Tinubu inherited an ECOWAS of 15 member states and left it gasping for breath with three countries pulling out and 40 per cent of its land mass gone,” Shaibu said.
“Once Africa’s diplomatic compass, the nation that gave weight to regional consensus and global negotiations, Nigeria has now become an afterthought. Ignored. Sidelined. Stripped of influence.”
Shaibu contrasted Nigeria’s current situation with that of South Africa, which, he noted, is actively negotiating trade frameworks with Washington while Nigeria is “nowhere to be found.”
He also criticised members of Tinubu’s inner circle, accusing them of focusing on luxuries while the country faces a decline in foreign direct investment and international influence.
“And while our foreign direct investment has plunged to historic lows, Tinubu’s men lounge in St. Lucia, sipping champagne in the face of national decline,” he said.
Shaibu further dismissed claims that businessman Gilbert Chagoury—reputed to have close ties with the Clinton Foundation—could influence Trump on Nigeria’s behalf, calling such hopes “a mirage.”
“From Giant of Africa to diplomatic ghost, Tinubu has finished the job. He has squandered our legacy, diluted our stature, and silenced our voice on the world stage,” he added.
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