A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has criticised the All Progressives Congress, APC, for what he described as Nigeria’s weak diplomatic response to the recent threat issued by United States President Donald Trump.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday, Olawepo-Hashim said he was not surprised by Trump’s comments but by the Nigerian government’s response, which he said reflected a lack of effective diplomatic engagement.
He faulted the APC-led administration for failing to maintain proper diplomatic channels, noting that Nigeria had been without a fully functioning ambassador in Washington for a long period.
“I am not shocked about the threat from President Donald Trump. What shocks me is the Nigerian government’s response. There have been hearings in the US Senate on these issues for years, yet Nigeria did not have a functioning ambassador in the United States. How then do you put your story across in a serious manner?” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim accused the government of preferring informal channels over established diplomatic frameworks, describing such moves as “funny” and unprofessional.
“They like back channels when there are institutional structures of communication in international relations. Your ambassador is your president in a foreign land, not the same as a chargé d’affaires. These structures, such as bi-national or bilateral commissions, have been paralyzed for years,” he added.
He recalled that diplomatic cooperation between Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including Niger Republic, had also deteriorated due to neglect.
According to him, the paralysis of these formal structures has weakened Nigeria’s global influence and undermined its long-standing reputation as a stabilising force in West Africa.
“The APC government, particularly under President Tinubu, has pursued a reckless and incoherent foreign policy. This is not the first time we are being pushed to the brink of a foreign war. The first was when Tinubu threatened to go to war with Niger Republic. That was the first foreign policy blunder,” he said.