Political commentator and Nollywood veteran, Kenneth Okonkwo, openly mocked President Bola Tinubu’s initial diplomatic response to President Donald Trump’s critical tweet regarding Nigeria. Okonkwo stated he found the response laughable because he instantly recognized it as a political miscalculation that would escalate tensions, rather than resolve the diplomatic rift. He characterized Tinubu’s reaction as unwise and lacking the necessary diplomatic finesse required when dealing with a powerful global figure like Trump, ultimately leading to a worsening of international relations.
According to a video posted on the Official YouTube channel of SYMFONI from 20:48, while discussing the international fallout from the US designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Kenneth Okonkwo stated, “I Laughed When Tinubu Fired Back at Donald Trump, I Knew What Was Going to Come After.” Okonkwo, who holds a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy, criticized the administration for engaging in a direct online confrontation. He insisted that such a critical situation demanded a subtle, backdoor diplomatic approach, not an adversarial public exchange that could provoke further threats.
Okonkwo suggested that had Nigeria appointed a “beautiful, wonderful, intelligent ambassador,” that representative could have privately engaged the US government. This approach, he argued, would have allowed Nigeria to explain its security situation and seek American assistance, rather than entering a tweet-for-tweet battle that led to Trump threatening the use of force if necessary. He viewed the administration’s public confrontation as a display of incompetence and poor strategy, confirming his low rating of Nigeria’s international relations under President Tinubu.
He further lamented the fact that the entire nation had been pleading with President Tinubu for months to appoint key ambassadors to major countries. Okonkwo claimed that it took a threatening tweet from a foreign president to finally compel the administration to consider making those critical appointments, a move he predicted would occur within a week of the threat. This, he argued, highlights a pattern of reactionary governance where the administration only acts under duress, lacking the proactive leadership necessary for effective statecraft.
Ultimately, the political analyst concluded that Tinubu’s action was a classic example of his alleged “hypocrisy of competence,” meaning the President purports to be decisive but ends up taking wrong decisions that worsen the country’s standing. Okonkwo expressed disappointment that such a large nation was being led by an administration that seems so easily maneuvered and unwise in its diplomatic dealings, reiterating his commitment to ensuring Nigerians enthrone a truly capable leader in the next electoral cycle. View, More,
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