Is Europe the New Political Playground for Nigerian Politicians?

Nigerian professionals in international relations have expressed concern about foreign interference in the choice of who becomes Nigeria's president in 2023, following the trend of Nigerian politicians travelling abroad to hold political meetings - with London and Paris destinations of choice.

There are reports of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, meeting former vice president Atiku Abubakar in London to mend the cracks that emerged from the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

There are also reports that the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, also met Wike and his entourage in London to form a possible alliance ahead of the elections. Although details of the meeting have not been made public, it is not unrelated to the proposed reconciliation between the two and the resolution of the crisis in the opposition party.

These meetings have drawn the ire of Nigerian experts in diplomacy and international affairs, who denounced the meetings outside Nigeria as "irresponsibility" as they expose the nation more to western interference and manipulation. 

InFocus

London (file photo).

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