A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, has said President Bola Tinubu is as intelligent, cautious, and strategic as former U.S. President Donald Trump, despite his absence from this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Akinterinwa argued that Tinubu’s decision not to attend the global forum should not be mistaken for weakness or lack of capacity on the international stage.
“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,” Akinterinwa said.
He explained that protocol and hierarchy in international relations often dictate engagements among leaders, noting that a vice president at the UNGA cannot easily interact with presidents of sovereign states.
“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 added.
Akinterinwa also suggested that global politics, particularly U.S. attitudes, could influence Nigeria’s international engagements. Citing Trump as an example, he described him as unpredictable and dismissive of countries charting independent foreign policies.
“Donald Trump thinks after action, not before action. He is a president that 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 stated.
President Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in 2023, where he delivered Nigeria’s national statement. However, he skipped the 79th edition in 2024 and the 80th UNGA this year, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him.
