Nigeria has lost global relevance under Tinubu, says Phrank Shaibu

Phrank Shaibu, special assistant on public communication to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, says Nigeria has lost its global relevance under President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on Friday, Shaibu said Nigeria’s exclusion from a forthcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and five African leaders is “a scathing verdict” on Tinubu’s foreign policy failures.

Trump is scheduled to host leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House on July 9 to discuss commercial opportunities.

Shaibu noted that Nigeria’s absence from the list was not a diplomatic error but “a staggering symbol of the Tinubu administration’s failure on the international stage”.

“This exclusion by the Trump administration is not a diplomatic oversight,” he said.

“It is a verdict—scathing in symbolism and staggering in implication. A verdict on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chaotic presidency, his divisive chairmanship of ECOWAS, and the complete evaporation of Nigeria’s diplomatic relevance.”

He said Nigeria, once a continental giant, has become “an afterthought” in global politics.

“Tinubu inherited an ECOWAS of 15 member states and left it gasping for breath, with three countries pulling out and 40 percent of its land mass gone,” he said.

“From Giant of Africa to diplomatic ghost — Tinubu has finished the job. He has squandered our legacy, diluted our stature, and silenced our voice on the world stage.”

He said while South Africa is negotiating trade frameworks with Washington, Nigeria “is invisible” on Tinubu’s watch.

Shaibu added that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition would rescue Nigeria from “urban bandits” in power.

“We will not be complicit in our own erasure,” he said.

“The damage is deep — but so is our resolve. And the mission to reclaim Nigeria’s honour has already begun.”

On Tuesday, Shaibu predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will lose the 2027 presidential election due to rising hunger and economic hardship.

He said Nigerians are already counting the cost of poor governance and would reject the ruling party at the polls.

“No amount of propaganda can cover hunger. No PR can spin poverty,” he said.