The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, has sharply criticized Nigerian political figures for denigrating President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Saint Lucia. In his Emancipation Day address on August 1, 2025, Pierre characterized the criticism as a manifestation of the psychological chains of slavery, self-hate and a readiness to view people of African descent as inferior.
Pierre decried what he called the “vilification and denigration” of Tinubu’s state visit, reportedly driven by politically motivated groups and tacitly backed by opposition forces. He emphasized Saint Lucia’s willingness to implement the signed memorandum of understanding, stressing the importance of diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and Caribbean nations.
Recalling earlier domestic dissent, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi had openly condemned the trip as “ill‑timed and insensitive” amid Nigeria’s escalating crises
Obi argued that while Nigeria grapples with widespread insecurity, poverty, unpaid teachers, school closures in the FCT, and devastating flood disasters, including the death of hundreds in Minna, Niger State, the President chose leisure travel over immediate national concerns
He highlighted the incongruity of Tinubu spending eight nights abroad in a country smaller and less populous than Makurdi or Minna, locations where lives were lost and suffering was high. Obi lamented that aside from Lagos, Tinubu had not spent an overnight stay in any other Nigerian state since taking office—a point he used to underscore the imbalance between foreign engagements and domestic neglect
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On education, Obi denounced Tinubu’s scholarships offer to Saint Lucian students as a “betrayal against Nigerian children,” particularly appalling given Nigeria’s record number of out-of-school children and ongoing teacher strike in the capital
He urged the President to realign national priorities to focus first on the country’s most vulnerable.
Prime Minister Pierre’s remarks suggest international perception is at odds with domestic criticism. He positioned Tinubu’s visit not as self-indulgent but as a strategic move to deepen ties with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and promote South-South cooperation, an outreach equally dismissed by critics as misaligned in timing.
As diplomatic efforts proceed, Pierre reaffirmed his government’s commitment to honoring bilateral agreements, inviting deeper cooperation with Nigeria despite the domestic controversy.
This is not the first time Peter Obi has come under heavy criticism for what many see as unconstructive and politically motivated attacks on President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Critics have repeatedly accused the former Labour Party presidential candidate of leveraging national challenges to score political points without offering actionable solutions, drawing backlash from both local and international figures who view his remarks as divisive and lacking in statesmanship.
