Why Tinubu Should Avoid Antagonising Or Confronting Trump – Bolaji Akinyemi

Former Minister of External Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi has urged President Bola Tinubu to be cautious in his approach to the newly inaugurated 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Speaking on “Politics Today” on Channels Television, Akinyemi advised Tinubu to avoid antagonizing or confronting Trump, describing the US president as a “bully.”

Akinyemi referenced an African proverb, emphasizing that confronting a bully without sufficient strength only worsens the situation.

He advised Tinubu to avoid direct confrontation with Trump, even when his actions conflict with Nigeria’s interests, suggesting there are other ways to address such issues diplomatically.

“If I were President Tinubu, I would try to steer clear of antagonising him because there is nothing a bully likes better than taking on people who are not strong enough to resist him,” Akinyemi said.

“You know there is that African proverb that if you are not strong enough to take on a bully and you take him on, you are just even going to suffer more for it.

“That’s the advice I will give President Tinubu: try and avoid having a confrontation with him even if that means that he does things that annoy or does things that step on the interests of Nigeria. There are ways in which you could address his reaction without confrontation.”

Akinyemi, who previously served as the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), also criticized Trump’s inaugural speech, calling it “uninspiring, shocking, and depressing.”

According to him, the speech focused more on hostility than unity, citing Trump’s proposals such as reclaiming the Panama Canal, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and imposing tariff wars.

He warned that Trump would soon realize the consequences of his aggressive policies and predicted a challenging four years under his leadership, marked by global instability.

Bolaji Akinyemi also noted that Nigeria and Africa as a whole are unlikely to be priorities for the Trump administration.

He suggested that Nigeria should not expect significant attention or benefits from the 78-year-old president’s time in office.

KanyiDaily recalls that Donald Trump was sworn in for a historic second term on Monday after taking the oath as the 47th president of the United States.