- Tinubu as Intelligent, Strategic as Trump – Ex-NIIA DG
- Akinterinwa said Tinubu’s decision not to attend the global gathering does not diminish his capacity to engage on the world stage
- Tinubu described the former American president as unpredictable and dismissive
Former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Professor Bola Akinterinwa, has argued that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) should not be mistaken for weakness, noting that he is as intelligent, cautious, and strategic as former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Eko Hot Blog reports that while speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Akinterinwa said Tinubu’s decision not to attend the global gathering does not diminish his capacity to engage on the world stage.
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“At the end of the day, when you are seen to be at par with your colleagues, in which way are you going to say that Donald Trump is better than Bola Tinubu of Nigeria? He’s not. And I can tell you that Tinubu is as intelligent, if not more intelligent than Trump. He is more cautious and more strategic in his approach,” he said.
The former NIIA chief stressed that hierarchy and diplomatic protocol play a critical role in shaping international engagements. According to him, vice presidents often face limits in their interactions with world leaders at such summits.
“In diplomacy, water must always find its own level. When you are not the president of a sovereign state, the extent to which you can meet with sovereign leaders is limited. A vice president going there cannot easily interact with people who are senior to him,” he explained.
Akinterinwa further observed that global political dynamics particularly U.S. foreign policy posture also shape interactions. Citing Donald Trump, he described the former American president as unpredictable and dismissive of countries pursuing independent foreign policies.
“Donald Trump thinks after action, not before action. He is a president who can thoroughly embarrass our own president, finding unnecessary excuses. Because Nigeria appears to be charting an independent line in international affairs, Trump doesn’t like this. He wants to be seen as primus inter pares in global politics,” he said.
President Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in New York in 2023, where he delivered Nigeria’s national statement. However, he was absent from the 79th session in 2024, when Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him, and again at the ongoing 80th UNGA.
