President Bola Tinubu arrived in St. Lucia on Saturday for a diplomatic tour, aiming to deepen Nigeria’s ties with Caribbean states and engage the African diaspora, even as former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi denounced the trip as “ill-timed and insensitive” amid a plethora of domestic crises.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said the visit “paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations,” emphasizing that St. Lucia serves as the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and a gateway to CARICOM’s 15 member states, whose combined GDP tops $130 billion.
He added, “This tour reflects Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to fostering global cooperation for shared prosperity,” framing the state visit as a strategic one as against the popular notion by Nigerians that it is a leisure trip.
Onanuga further noted that “citizens of Saint Lucia are excited that President Tinubu has chosen to visit the island,” highlighting strong cultural and historical ties dating back to 19th-century migrations from present-day Nigeria.
He outlined that the President will address a joint session of Saint Lucia’s Senate and House of Assembly at the William Jefferson Clinton Ballroom in Gros Islet and hold talks with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre on trade, education and technical cooperation.
“In an era of global uncertainty, deepening cooperation between the Global South, particularly between continental Africa and the Caribbean, has become imperative,” Onanuaga said, tying the trip to Nigeria’s Four D’s foreign-policy framework of Democracy, Development, Diaspora and Demography.
However, Peter Obi has criticized the timing, describing the journey as “grossly insensitive and tone-deaf” in remarks posted on X. He wrote, “Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit … In what kind of country does this happen?”
Obi contrasted Nigeria’s response to international examples, noting that other leaders have rushed to disaster sites to console victims, and insisted, “Nigeria needs a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion.”
In Abuja, Obi’s statements prompted a rebuttal from Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Engagement, Frederick Nwabufo, who dismissed the criticism as “political posturing” and maintained that “this state visit is not a vacation, but a vital assertion of Nigeria’s role in South–South cooperation”.
After St. Lucia, President Tinubu will attend the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 6–7, where Nigerans expect him to advocate for expanded Nigerian participation in emerging global economic forums.
