Atiku has slammed President Tinubu over U.S. summit snub, saying that Nigeria has become a “diplomatic ghost”.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration following Nigeria’s exclusion from an upcoming U.S. summit with African leaders, calling it a clear sign of the country’s declining international relevance under Tinubu’s leadership.
According to Naija News, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host five African leaders on July 9, 2025, at a summit focused on trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The invited countries are Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal — with Nigeria noticeably absent from the list.
In a strongly worded statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Nigeria’s exclusion as “a verdict on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chaotic presidency” and a symbol of the country’s lost prestige on the world stage.
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“Not Nigeria. Not the continent’s most populous nation, the so-called Giant of Africa. A country with a $500 billion economy that was once among the world’s fastest-growing economies. The APC wrecked it,” Atiku stated.
He dismissed claims that Nigeria’s omission from the summit might be a diplomatic oversight, asserting that it reflects the world’s growing disinterest in engaging with Tinubu’s administration.
“How do we explain it?” the statement continued. “Tinubu inherited an ECOWAS of 15 member states and now presides over a fractured bloc, with three countries having withdrawn and over 40% of its land mass lost.”
Once viewed as Africa’s diplomatic powerhouse, Nigeria, Atiku said, has become “an afterthought” in global and regional affairs. “Ignored. Sidelined. Stripped of influence. While others gather to shape Africa’s future, Nigeria is not even invited into the room,” he added.
Atiku also condemned the state of the economy under Tinubu, citing historic lows in foreign direct investment while accusing government officials of indulging in luxury abroad amid the nation’s decline.
He dismissed the notion that businessman Gilbert Chagoury could leverage access to the Trump administration on Nigeria’s behalf, noting Chagoury’s past ties to the Clinton Foundation and lack of current diplomatic influence. “Nigeria bet its global standing on a mirage — and lost,” the statement declared.
On ECOWAS, Atiku accused Tinubu of fueling division rather than unity during his tenure as chairman. “He didn’t build bridges. He burnt them. His self-serving leadership turned Nigeria into a polarizing force rather than a rallying point for regional stability.”
Atiku concluded his statement by declaring that Nigeria’s reputation has been “squandered” under the current government, reducing the once influential nation to “a diplomatic ghost.”
“This is not just an embarrassment. It’s a disgrace,” he said. “But we will not mourn in silence. The coalition through the ADC is here to rescue Nigeria. The mission to reclaim our honour has begun.”
He emphasized that history will not look kindly on the current administration, but it will remember those who stood up to challenge its failures.
