Tinubu as Intelligent and Strategic as Trump, Says Ex-NIIA DG

Also Read

 

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 80th UNGA should not be misconstrued as weakness or lack of global standing.

“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.

The former NIIA boss explained that hierarchy and protocol often shape interactions at international forums, limiting the extent to which representatives such as vice presidents can engage with world leaders.

“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 said.

He also suggested that global politics and U.S. attitudes might influence Nigeria’s experiences on the international stage. Drawing a comparison with Trump, Akinterinwa described the former U.S. leader as unpredictable and dismissive of countries pursuing 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 said.

Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in New York in 2023, where he delivered Nigeria’s national statement. However, he did not attend the 79th session in 2024 and was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who also represented him again at this year’s 80th edition.