Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s exclusion from an upcoming summit of African leaders at the White House, describing it as evidence of the country’s declining global relevance under Tinubu’s leadership.
The U.S. summit, scheduled for July 9, 2025, will see President Donald Trump host five African leaders—Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—for discussions focused on “commercial opportunities.”
Reacting to the development, Atiku, through a statement released Thursday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Nigeria’s exclusion from the high-level meeting was a stark signal that the country had lost its diplomatic standing in the international community.
According to the statement, the omission was “neither a diplomatic oversight nor a scheduling error,” but rather “a verdict — scathing in symbolism and staggering in implication. A verdict on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chaotic presidency, his divisive chairmanship of ECOWAS, and the complete evaporation of Nigeria’s diplomatic relevance.”
He further argued that President Tinubu has mismanaged an economy he inherited with a $500 billion GDP, once ranked among the world’s fastest-growing.
“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% of its land mass gone. 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. While others are summoned to negotiate Africa’s future, Nigeria is not even in the room,” Atiku said.
He also lamented the collapse in investor confidence and dwindling foreign direct investment, blaming the administration for its misplaced priorities.
“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. South Africa is negotiating trade frameworks with Washington. Nigeria is invisible,” he added.
Atiku debunked reports linking Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury to the Trump administration, countering assumptions that he could influence U.S. foreign policy in Tinubu’s favor.
“And let’s now kill the lie that’s been allowed to linger for too long: Gilbert Chagoury is not a Trump ally. He does not hold the keys to the White House. He has no diplomatic leverage in the Trump administration, having been listed as one of the major donors to the Clinton foundation,” he stated.
He added that Nigeria had miscalculated by relying on perceived influence that no longer held sway.
“The illusion of Tinubu’s influence has collapsed under the weight of reality. Nigeria wagered its international standing on a mirage and lost.”
“As chair of ECOWAS, Tinubu did not build bridges; he burnt them. His erratic, self-serving approach fractured regional cooperation, turning Nigeria into a polarizing force rather than a rallying point,” he said.
Atiku described Tinubu’s leadership as having diminished Nigeria’s status from a continental powerhouse to an inconsequential actor on the global stage.
“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. This isn’t just an embarrassment. It is a disgrace — a resounding declaration that Nigeria, under this administration, has lost its way.”
Despite his criticism, Atiku expressed hope that the newly formed opposition coalition, under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), would offer Nigerians a viable alternative.
“Nigerians will not mourn in silence,” he declared. “The newly formed coalition through the ADC is here to rescue Nigeria from these urban bandits. The damage is deep — but so is our resolve. And the mission to reclaim Nigeria’s honour has already begun. History may not be kind to this government. But history will remember who stood up to end it.”
