Political expert and former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu to be careful in his interactions with Donald Trump, the newly sworn-in 47th President of the United States.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Akinyemi advised against provoking Trump, referring to him as a “bully.”
“If I were in President Tinubu’s position, I would avoid antagonizing him, as bullies thrive on challenging those who seem weak,” Akinyemi stated. He referenced an African proverb to support his view: “There’s an African saying that if you’re not strong enough to confront a bully and you choose to do so, you’ll only end up suffering more. My recommendation to President Tinubu is to steer clear of confrontations, even if that means tolerating actions that frustrate or conflict with Nigeria’s interests. There are alternative ways to manage his reactions without direct confrontation.”
Akinyemi, who once served as the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), also critiqued Trump’s inaugural speech, calling it “shocking and depressing.”
