By Group Captain Sadeeq Garba Shehu (rtd)
With the greatest respect to Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi – an elder statesman whose contributions to Nigeria’s diplomacy are undeniable – this is one instance where his defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requires a careful but firm reconsideration.
Let us be clear from the outset:
1. The issue was never whether the President should cancel his UK state visit.
2. The issue is that leadership demands visible presence in moments of national tragedy.
THE CONTEXT
A series of suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri killed over 20 citizens and injured many more. Around the same time, the President proceeded on a pre-scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III.
No immediate:
a. Presidential stopover in Maiduguri
b. Delegating of the Vice Presidential to visit Maiduguri (till later after backlash after attending a “more important more pressing governor inauguration)
c. High-level ministerial delegation
None of these doable, foreseeable, logical options was pursued.
Only after public backlash did the Vice President make a visit—after attending another engagement.
WHAT WAS EXPECTED (Without Cancelling the UK Visit)
This is where the argument must be properly framed.
There were three practical, realistic, and standard options available:
1. Presidential Stopover (Most Symbolic)
A brief stop in Maiduguri – for a few hours, not days – before departure. The Presidential jet makes this entirely feasible
Even a 2–3 hour presence would have:
- Comforted victims,signalled urgency and demonstrated command responsibility
- Delegate the Vice President to Represent the President
The Vice President could have been immediately dispatched.
This is standard practice in functional systems
It signals government presence and continuity of leadership
3. High-Level Ministerial Delegation
At minimum Defence, Interior and Humanitarian Affairs to show visible federal presence on ground within hours.
THE CORE ISSUE
But unfortunately Prof Akinyemi reduced this situation to a binary choice – “Cancel the UK visit or do nothing” – is a false framing. And with respect, that is where Prof. Akinyemi’s argument falls short. “The President was right to proceed,” he says. “You cant do that to UK or US,” he adds.
WHAT GLOBAL PRACTICE SHOWS
In many countries:
Leaders do not always (but do sometimes) cancel foreign visits when tragedy strikes at home. If they must proceed they almost always ensure:
a. Immediate high-level representation at home
Or
b. a symbolic physical presence, however brief
Because security crisis are not just operational events – they are emotional national moments. When leadership is absent at such moments:
It creates a perception of distance from the people
It unintentionally signals misplaced priorities
It weakens public confidence in state empathy
ON ELDER STATESMANSHIP
Prof. Akinyemi belongs to a generation that helped shape Nigeria’s diplomatic and intellectual foundations, the originator of the Concert of Middle Powers at the United Nations back then in the 80s. Precisely for that reason, elder statesmen are most valuable when they speak truth to power – not when they narrow the debate to CANCEL. This was not a case of “the President was right not to cancel.”
It was a case of a leadership opportunity to show empathy that was missed – one that could have been addressed without sacrificing the UK visit.
FINAL REFLECTION
No one questions the importance of Nigeria’s engagement with the United Kingdom. But leadership requires simultaneous attention to both foreign policy and domestic tragedy. The real test is not whether the President travelled. The real test is whether the nation felt led at home while he was away.
On that measure we must be honest – it was a mistake. And acknowledging that is not criticism for its own sake.
It is how institutions learn, improve, and lead better next time tragedy strikes at home while a foreign visit has been scheduled…we pray not!
Group Captain Sadeeq Garba Shehu (rtd) is a Security & Defence Analyst/Conflict Security & Development Consult Ltd
