Tinubu’s France Visit Sparks Outrage Over Photo With Low-Ranking U.S. Diplomat
Abuja, Nigeria – April 10, 2025 — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent trip to France has come under sharp criticism after the presidency released a photo of him meeting with a relatively low-ranking American diplomat, a move political analysts say undermines the dignity of the Nigerian presidency.
Renowned political commentator and columnist, Dr. Ugo Egbujo, took to his official Facebook page to express his dissatisfaction with what he described as an “embarrassing and unnecessary attempt to pass off a private vacation as a working visit.”
According to Egbujo, the individual Tinubu met in France—Mr. Boulos, a U.S. foreign service adviser who is also reportedly related to President Donald Trump—holds no significant standing that would warrant a presidential audience, especially on foreign soil.
“A Nigerian diplomat of that guy’s level can never go near an American president dead, alive, or hibernating in a foreign country,” Egbujo wrote. “Let alone such a visit be publicized as work.”
He argued that if the meeting was truly related to security or foreign relations, Boulos should have met Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, or at most the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, instead of chasing the president to France for a photo opportunity.
“By strict diplomatic protocol, that guy shouldn’t even be able to pose for pictures with Tuggar [Foreign Minister] or Ribadu, let alone the President,” he said. “Publishing the photo and branding it as evidence of a working visit is ridiculous.”
Egbujo questioned the intent behind publicizing such a meeting and suggested that if Boulos is a personal acquaintance of the President, it should not be projected as official diplomatic engagement.
“If Boulos is Tinubu’s ‘paddy man’ from way back, then people shouldn’t publish these pictures like they are work photos. Let’s stop belittling our country,” he said.
He further stated that the prestige of Nigeria’s presidency should be protected at all times, even more so on the international stage.
“The President of Nigeria cannot be seen entertaining low-level diplomats abroad as if it were a presidential summit. That photograph sends the wrong message about the weight of our office.”
The presidency has yet to respond officially to the backlash, but supporters of President Tinubu have maintained that his visit to France included high-level discussions and personal engagements, which, according to them, are common for presidents worldwide.
However, Egbujo concluded that the optics of the visit were poor, calling on the government’s media handlers to be more mindful of the image they project.
“Our country is hard enough. Let’s not add insult to injury by calling leisure trips official business,” he wrote.
As the debate continues online and across political circles, many Nigerians are calling for greater transparency and adherence to diplomatic protocols in the portrayal of presidential activities abroad.