“Just When You Think You Have Seen The Worst,” ADC Faults Leadership Of FG Delegation To Canada

By Ayodele Oni

“How can an unelected Presidential Aide lead elected Governors, a Federal Government  delegation to an international Conference?”

The African Democratic Congress, (ADC), has observed that it is derogatory for an unelected presidential Aide to lead federal government delegation to an international engagement.

The opposition party flayed President Bola Tinubu over the decision to appoint his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to lead a Federal Government delegation comprising five serving state governors to an investment conference in Canada.

This was just as the opposition party questioned the propriety of placing elected governors under the leadership of an unelected presidential aide during an official foreign engagement.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, raised the objection in a post on his verified X account, while reacting to the announcement of the Federal Government’s delegation to the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference in Toronto.

Abdullahi wrote, “Just when you think that you have seen the worst of this Tinubu government, they will just surprise you.

“How can the President’s Chief of Staff, an unelected personal aide of the president, lead elected state governors on a foreign mission? It is well.”

His comment followed an announcement by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission that Tinubu had approved a high-powered delegation to represent Nigeria at the conference scheduled for August 12 to 15 in Toronto, Canada.

According to NiDCOM, Gbajabiamila will lead the delegation, which includes Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum; Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo; Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; and Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal.

Other members of the delegation are the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is expected to attract government officials, investors, Nigerian diaspora members and business leaders to discuss investment opportunities in Nigeria and deepen economic ties between the country and its diaspora community.

The decision to have Gbajabiamila lead the delegation has, however, triggered debate, particularly on social media, with the ADC questioning the hierarchy adopted for the international assignment.