ABUJA — Former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of poor diplomatic strategy and neglecting Nigeria’s global image by failing to appoint ambassadors nearly two years after recalling existing ones.
Onochie, in a post on her verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, mocked Tinubu’s approach to governance, alleging that the President is running the country “like a private WhatsApp group.”
Her criticism follows Tinubu’s recall of all Nigerian ambassadors in September 2023 — a move that has yet to be followed by new appointments, leaving many of Nigeria’s foreign missions leaderless for over 23 months.
“A strategist who doesn’t know that Nigeria needs ambassadors to relate with the rest of the world is running Nigeria like a private WhatsApp group,” Onochie wrote.
In a scathing remark, she accused the President of focusing his foreign relations on countries where he could be flattered rather than on strategic diplomatic engagement.
“He prefers to relate to St. Lucia and Kazakhstan, where he can be idolised and worshipped for the right price,” she added.
Ambassadors play a critical role in representing Nigeria’s interests abroad, fostering bilateral relations, and providing support for Nigerians in diaspora. The prolonged absence of substantive envoys has raised concerns among diplomatic observers about the country’s fading presence on the international stage.
Onochie’s comments add to the growing public discourse over Tinubu’s foreign policy direction and his slow pace in filling key diplomatic positions, which many believe could undermine Nigeria’s global influence and economic interests.
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