The Presidency has taken a swipe at the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s foreign engagements, describing his comments as “populism over facts” and a distortion of the intent behind Nigeria’s international economic diplomacy.
Obi had questioned the rationale behind Nigeria’s participation at the African CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, as well as the broader pattern of President Tinubu’s foreign trips, arguing that such engagements should be judged strictly by measurable economic returns rather than what he termed ceremonial optics.
Responding in a strongly worded statement on Saturday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, defended both the composition and purpose of Nigeria’s delegation to the Kigali event, insisting that it reflected a deliberate strategy to attract serious investment partners rather than symbolic representation.
According to the Presidency, the Nigerian delegation featured some of the country’s most prominent industrialists and private sector leaders, including Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Tony Elumelu, Wale Tinubu, and Jim Ovia, who were present to engage global investors and explore partnership opportunities across key sectors.
Olusegun stressed that contrary to claims of wasteful foreign trips, President Tinubu’s international engagements were designed to strengthen investor confidence and deepen Nigeria’s economic ties with strategic partners across the world.
He said the administration’s focus remained on securing long-term investment inflows in critical sectors such as energy, technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and solid minerals, adding that several commitments had already been recorded from recent engagements.
The Presidency also pointed to ongoing domestic policy reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the foreign exchange market, initiatives on food security, and the promotion of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) adoption, arguing that these measures were aimed at repositioning the economy for sustainable growth.
It further dismissed comparisons with diplomatic practices in the United States and other advanced economies, noting that Nigeria operates within a different geopolitical and economic context that demands tailored engagement strategies.
According to the statement, presidential foreign trips are not ceremonial outings but constitutional responsibilities tied to diplomacy, security cooperation, and economic development.
“The idea that these visits are about optics ignores the structural reforms and investment conversations being advanced at these global platforms,” the Presidency maintained.
In a pointed remark, the Presidency urged Obi to rely on verifiable facts in his public commentary, while also taking a swipe at what it described as his “frequent political repositioning” in recent years.
The exchange adds another layer to the ongoing political tension between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration and opposition figures, as debates over the impact of Tinubu’s foreign policy engagements continue to dominate national discourse.
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