Fredrick Nwabufo to Obi: Tinubu’s Saint Lucia trip will deepen Nigeria’s ties with Caribbean

Fredrick Nwabufo, senior special assistant to the president on public engagement, has faulted Peter Obi over his remarks on President Bola Tinubu’s foreign engagements.

Obi had questioned the president’s latest trip to Saint Lucia after a devastating flood in Minna, Niger state, which claimed over 200 lives and left hundreds missing.

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election also described Tinubu’s latest trip as a “leisure” one.

“The time has come to put a stop to this drift before it consumes all and focus on pulling people out of poverty,” Obi said.

In a post on X, Nwabufo described Obi as a “tragedy connoisseur” who frequently floods the public space with “lamentations vacant of substance and facts”.

“You are not to be indulged as your frequent tantrums are obviously headline-grabbing performances,” he wrote.

Nwabufo said Tinubu’s current visit to Saint Lucia is official and strategic, noting that the Caribbean country hosts the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

He said the visit is aimed at deepening Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations and strengthening South-South cooperation.

“Saint Lucia is an important gateway to the Caribbean as Nigeria deepens cooperation with the region,” he wrote.

According to Nwabufo, the 15 Caribbean states under the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have a combined GDP of over $130 billion.

He said citizens of Saint Lucia are excited about the president’s presence, describing it as a “historic and consequential visit”.

“Nigeria and citizens of the Caribbean share strong cultural affinity,” he said.

“Nigeria, by the design of nature and history, has a leadership role to play not only in Africa but in every corner of the world where there are Africans.”

Nwabufo praised Tinubu’s approach to foreign relations, describing him as a visionary leader returning Nigeria to “global reckoning”.

“President Tinubu is the visionary who sees Nigeria for its immense greatness,” he wrote.

“The world is paying more attention to Nigeria for good reasons. Effective domestic leadership, reinforced with a deliberate and well-designed foreign policy, reflects favourably on global perception.”

He added that the president’s “broad-minded and enlightened leadership at home is colouring the grey canvas of global disinterestedness”.

“Nigeria is in good stead to lead,” he concluded.