The Presidency through Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has come out to straighthen things concerning President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to Saint Lucia, in Eastern Carribean.
This is coming after former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, reacted to the President’s trip to the Island Country.
President Tinubu jetted out of Nigeria on Saturday 28 June, 2025 on a State visit to Saint Lucia; and from here he will travel to Brazil where he will participate in the BRICS Summit.
Obi reacted, “no, Mr President, this is not the time for holidaying”, saying, “In the past two years, Nigeria has lost more people to all sorts of criminality than a country that is officially at war”.
Bayo Onanuga said: “This is for Peter Obi, whose opposition strategy appears to be focused on weaponising everything under the sun, persistently challenging President Tinubu’s every initiative and move, regardless of merit, equating constant criticism with effective opposition.”
Via a State House Press Release titled ‘Why President Tinubu is on a State Visit to Saint Lucia’, signed by Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday 29 June, 2025, the Presidency said, it has become essential to bring clarification to the reason for President Tinubu’s State visit to Saint Lucia.
It said, the people of Saint Lucia excitedly received President Tinubu, and added, “they long to strengthen their bonds with African nations with which they share ancestral links”.
The State House Press Statement (part) reads: “In the wake of some Nigerians’ misguided, mischievous, and uninformed comments regarding President Bola Tinubu’s historic state visit to Saint Lucia, it is necessary to clarify the purpose of the visit.
“First, from the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, the visit by the Nigerian leader paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations.
“Like many Caribbean nations, Saint Lucia has a significant population of African ancestry. In the mid-19th century, a wave of immigrants from present-day Nigeria arrived in Saint Lucia, bringing cultural and religious practices that persist today.
“Citizens of Saint Lucia are excited that President Tinubu has chosen to visit the island. They long to strengthen their bonds with African nations with which they share ancestral links.
“Saint Lucia is the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the gateway to the 15 CARICOM member states. The CARICOM states have a combined GDP of over $130 billion, a significant figure in South-South trade discourse.
“In an era of global uncertainty, deepening cooperation between the Global South, particularly between continental Africa and the Caribbean, has become imperative.
“Nigeria and the citizens of the Caribbean have strong people-to-people links.
“Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian-born jurist who died on February 10, 1989, served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1975 to 1979. He first came to Nigeria in 1957, recruited as a legal draftsman by the Western Regional Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He became the acting Director of Public Prosecutions in 1958. In 1960, he was appointed Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Western Regional Ministry of Justice. In 1964, he was appointed a judge in the Lagos High Court. In 1969, the defunct South Eastern State appointed him the chief judge.
“He later became the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1975, succeeding Sir Teslim Olawale Elias.
“Sir Darnley was born in Castries, the capital of this Island state, in January 1920. He held multiple honours: QC, CBE, GCON, and SAN.
“Another Lucian, Neville Skeete, an architect, contributed to the design of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s corporate headquarters.
“Additionally, Sir Darnley Alexander’s son, Michael, served as a medical doctor on the frontline in the Nigerian Army during the tragic civil war.
“President Tinubu’s visit aligns with Nigeria’s Four D’s foreign policy framework: Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography.
“As the presidency stated, the visit supports the African Union’s Sixth Region agenda, which identifies the African diaspora as a key development partner.
“Nigeria actively fosters cultural exchange through collaboration in education, culture, and heritage preservation. Our cultural exports, including Afrobeats, Nollywood, and literature, are already making a significant impact on Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean, enriching our shared cultural landscape.
“On the Friday before President Tinubu’s arrival, Afrobeats and Nigerian music dominated the airwaves, a testament to Nigeria’s growing soft power and cultural footprint.
“Democracy as a Shared Value: Saint Lucia is a stable parliamentary democracy, making it a natural ally for Nigeria, which has enjoyed 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.
“During the live coverage of President Tinubu’s arrival and welcoming ceremonies at the Hewanorra International Airport on the National Television Network (NTN), a local commentator described President Tinubu as a “fighter for democracy”, citing his well-known pro-democracy record.”
