Coup: During the campaigns, presidential candidates refused our letter to discuss foreign policy-Amb Keshi

A former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Amb. Joe Keshi said that their group reached out to presidential candidates to discuss foreign policy issues during the campaigns leading up to the 2023 elections but they refused.

Amb Keshi said this in light of the opposition by some Nigerians to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s plans to use military intervention against the Niger junta. Speaking with Reuben Abati on City talks, Amb Keshi said the president would have been well briefed about foreign policy issues if he had agreed to meet with foreign policy establishment in Nigeria before he assumed office.

He said, “you know I say this with all due respect to Bola Ahmed Tinubu the president. But this is part of what happens when leaders of this country are not too well prepared when they want to assume office. And I’m saying this for one simple reason. During the campaigns, the Association of retired career ambassadors of Nigeria actually wrote a letter, we reached out to each of the presidential candidate, requesting that we sit down and discuss foreign policy, but they virtually refused.

And at least I met one or two of the candidates at that time and I don’t have to mention names. One in particular told me that, ah! Ambassador, you want to talk about foreign policy when people are hungry, when people can’t eat. This is not the time to talk about foreign policy.

The irony of it is that, now, how many days after inauguration, you are confronted with the issues of foreign policy.

And this is because the president would probably have been briefed if he had agreed to meet with the foreign policy establishment in Nigeria. They would have actually briefed him on a number of issues particularly on our relationship with our neighbours.”

(From 15:40)

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