Sowore downplays Tinubu's UK trip as merely a medical checkup in disguise

Omoyele Sowore, a human rights lawyer and African Action Congress presidential candidate, has labelled President Bola Tinubu's state visit to the United Kingdom as a "diplomatic excursion" that yields no substantial benefits for Nigeria.

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Sowore made these comments during an appearance on Channels Television's The Morning Brief on Wednesday, as President Tinubu continued his historic two-day visit, the first official trip by a Nigerian leader to the UK in nearly four decades.

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The presidential candidate questioned the true motivations behind the visit, hinting that the president's health might be a factor, saying "Perhaps the president will also see his doctors; he has not travelled in about a month".

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Sowore argued that the visit's grandeur belies a lack of tangible returns for Nigeria, stating "Beyond the fanfare you are seeing on TV, it's not bringing anything to Nigeria that Nigeria cannot get or should not have".

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He challenged the Tinubu administration's justification for the president's numerous foreign visits since taking office in May 2023, asserting that none of the purported investments have materialized.

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Sowore claimed that the costs of these trips outweigh any potential benefits, describing them as a waste of resources and saying "The cost of these travels is far more at the end, outweighing whatever we come from the so-called investment they claim is going to happen".

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He emphasized that investors would be drawn to a country with the right conditions, saying "If you have it right, investors will come to your country, you don't need to travel".

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Sowore also drew a comparison between the economic value generated by Nigerian musicians on foreign tours and the president's diplomatic trips, saying "Sometimes, some of these our musicians who go and perform in the UK bring more money into the country than when the president travels to the UK or anywhere".

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President Tinubu and the First Lady, Oluremi, arrived at London's Stansted Airport on Tuesday for the state visit, which includes a meeting with King Charles III and bilateral talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.