President Tinubu Attends G-20 Summit in India Amid Domestic Challenges
President Bola Tinubu arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday to participate in the G-20 Summit, where he will share Nigeria’s perspective on the theme, ‘One Earth-One Family-One Future’. The summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to address the global challenges facing humanity and the planet.
The President’s trip came amid a series of domestic issues, including a looming strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the removal of petrol subsidy, and the pending judgments by the Presidential Election Petition Court on the petitions challenging his victory in the February 25, 2023 poll.
The NLC had announced a warning strike starting from Wednesday to demand palliatives from the government to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal, which had led to an increase in fuel prices and inflation. The government had defended its decision, saying it was necessary to free up funds for infrastructure and social development.
The Presidential Election Petition Court, meanwhile, is expected to deliver its verdicts on the petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), as well as their presidential candidates, who alleged irregularities and malpractices in the election that saw Tinubu emerge as the winner with 55.6% of the votes.
The President’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement that Tinubu’s participation at the G-20 Summit was part of the government’s objective to explore the benefits and risks of joining the group of major economies. He said the government had embarked on wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders to ascertain Nigeria’s readiness and suitability for membership.
“While Nigeria’s membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership. Once consultations are concluded, the government will decide whether or not to apply to join as appropriate. The participation of President Tinubu at the G-20 Summit in India is, in part, in furtherance of this objective,” Ngelale said.
The President was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite.
