Former Vice President and opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following Nigeria’s exclusion from a high-profile U.S.-Africa summit hosted by former U.S. President Donald Trump, calling it a “damning indictment” of the Tinubu administration’s foreign policy and diplomatic failures.
The summit, scheduled for July 9, will see President Trump host leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House for talks centered on commercial cooperation and strategic partnerships. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and once a linchpin in continental diplomacy, was notably left off the guest list.
In a sharply worded statement, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the snub as “a verdict, scathing in symbolism and staggering in implication,” pointing to what he termed the collapse of Nigeria’s diplomatic stature under Tinubu’s leadership.
“Once Africa’s diplomatic compass… Nigeria has now become an afterthought. Ignored. Sidelined. Stripped of influence,” Shaibu said. “While others are summoned to negotiate Africa’s future, Nigeria is not even in the room.”
Atiku criticized Tinubu’s handling of regional affairs, highlighting the decline of ECOWAS membership under his chairmanship. He noted that Nigeria inherited a 15-member bloc and now presides over just 12 members following the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — a significant geopolitical blow.
“Tinubu inherited an ECOWAS of 15 and left it gasping for breath, with 40 percent of its landmass gone,” Atiku lamented.
The former Vice President also linked Nigeria’s diplomatic isolation to broader economic issues, citing a sharp drop in foreign direct investment and lagging trade negotiations. He contrasted Nigeria’s absence from the summit with South Africa’s active engagement with Washington on trade, accusing the Tinubu administration of complacency.
“From Giant of Africa to diplomatic ghost, Tinubu has finished the job,” Shaibu said. “He has squandered our legacy, diluted our stature, and silenced our voice on the world stage.”
He further dismissed suggestions that Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, known for his past ties to U.S. political figures, could help Nigeria regain favor, calling such hopes a “mirage.”
The presidency is yet to issue an official response to Atiku’s remarks. However, political observers say the Trump summit—though unofficial—sends a powerful signal about global perceptions of Nigeria’s leadership and relevance in the current geopolitical landscape.
Nigeria’s foreign policy has faced increasing scrutiny amid shifting alliances in West Africa, growing regional instability, and strained relations with traditional partners. The ECOWAS bloc, once unified under Nigeria’s leadership, has been rattled by coups and growing disillusionment with multilateral diplomacy.
With the U.S. increasingly seeking bilateral arrangements with select African nations, Nigeria’s absence from high-level talks is raising questions about its standing — and the implications for its economic and strategic interests.