Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is currently in the United States to meet his US counterpart, Mark Pence, to discuss issues of mutual importance to both countries. But indication are that the talks with Pence may not be unrelated to the position taken by the European Union, EU election observer groups and two American groups on the 2019 elections, and the position of Nigeria on the Iran American face-off.
Presidential spokesperson, Laolu Akande, however, said the meeting is to discuss matters of mutual interests between Nigeria and the U.S.
They may also discuss Nigerian economic outlook and American economic interests in Nigeria. Before then, Osinbajo will discuss with Nigerians in the US on the Nigerian economic outlook.
According to Akande, Osinbajo would be the guest speaker at a forum tagged “A Conversation With Vice President Yemi Osinbajo: Nigeria’s Economic Prospects”, an earlier scheduled event that the meeting with Pence. The event is scheduled to be hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an independent and nonpartisan think tank established to help Americans better understand the world.
Since president trump allegedly referred to President Buhari as lifeless, allegedly saying that he does not want to meet “such a lifeless person again”, he has not been on record as meeting President Buhari either publicly or privately. This meeting with Pence has been the latest in a long time between the two governments officially.
Osinbajo arrived the Sheltair wing of the John F. Kennedy International Aiport Sunday and was received by the octogenarian Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., retired Justice Sylvanus Nsofor. Nsofor came with Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Tijani Mohammad-Bande; and the Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Ben Okoyen.
The US appeared not to be very comfortable with the current government. No US representative was seen at both the Presidential swearing in on May 29. Neither did they attend the June 12 Democracy Day. The American Consulate was later quoted as saying that Democracy day is everyday.
