Dele Fanimo: The Pressure on President Tinubu Right Now Is Unbearable

No U.S. Ambassador Behind Rising Pressure on President Tinubu – Dele Fanimo on VOP

Media executive and public affairs analyst Dele Fanimo has explained that the growing diplomatic pressure on President Bola Tinubu is largely due to Nigeria’s failure to appoint an ambassador to the United States.

Speaking during an interview on Voice of the People (VOP) TV, Fanimo said that if Nigeria had an ambassador in New York, that official would have been the first to engage key U.S. government agencies — including the Pentagonand the White House — before issues escalated to the President himself.

“Unfortunately, why the pressure is so much on him is the fact that we don’t have an ambassador in the U.S. Otherwise, if we had an ambassador in New York, he would have been the one to first engage the officials of the Pentagon and the presidency before it gets to the President,” Fanimo said on VOP.

[irp posts=”47019″ ]

He explained that, in the absence of an ambassador, President Tinubu had taken the initiative to send envoys to the U.S. to showcase his administration’s progress in combating insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping.

“I’m sure what he’s going to do is to show them the strides he has made in combating insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other security challenges,” he noted, adding that the President’s approach was the right step toward reducing diplomatic tension.

Fanimo also commented on the recent statement by former U.S. President Donald Trump, describing it as a wake-up call to Nigerian leaders that the international community is closely observing developments in the country.

“The moment Trump made that statement, the first thing that occurred to me was that it’s a wake-up call that people are watching. If you think you are helpless, others might want to help you. It’s now up to you to show that you’re doing your part,” he said.

[irp posts=”41435″ ]

He further expressed optimism that the President’s actions would rekindle hope among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who wish to return to their ancestral homes after years of displacement.

Fanimo pointed out that about 48 hours after Trump’s pronouncement, the Presidency convened an emergency meeting with all service chiefs, a move he said demonstrates the administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity.

“That meeting tells you how much impact Trump’s statement had. The President and his team are clearly determined to reassure both Nigerians and the international community of their commitment to ending insecurity,” he concluded.