2023: Presidential candidate spills on unspoken fact about Chatham House, reason…

• The presidential candidate of the SDP, Adewole Adebayo, has said he refused to go to Chattam House to speak on his bid to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for a reason
• Adebayo said turned down the invitation to appear at the venue because of his respect for Nigeria as a sovereign state
• The southwest politician chided other candidates who went to Chattam House, arguing that they ridiculed and devalued the county by doing so

Lagos – Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s presidential flagbearer, has opened up on why he turned down an invitation to speak on his manifesto at Chatham House in London.

Speaking on Monday, January 23, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos, Adebayo noted that he refused to go outside Nigeria to speak on his presidential ambition because of his deep regard for the country’s sovereignty as a free state, Punch reports.

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In his opinion, Adebayo stated that presidential candidates who were in Chatham House had “further ridiculed and devalued the nation before the world by their appearances.”

According to him, NIIA, set up in 1961, has the capacity to adequately advise Nigerians on what to say on the international stage in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy.

He, therefore, submitted that before going anywhere else in the world, presidential candidates should have first visited the institute and there share their ideas.

His words:

“NIIA was set up in 1961 exactly for this purpose that our foreign policy thinking should be scientific, strategical, well reasoned, well researched, and this institution has the legacy at the background and the capacity to advise you on what to say on the world stage.

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“All over the world, before you go out to say anything about Nigeria or your country, you go to the premier diplomatic institute in your country and exchange ideas so that outsiders will understand that what you are saying is in tune with diplomatic policy and doctrines of your country.”

Finally, Chatham House speaks on why Atiku hasn’t joined its conversation like Tinubu, Obi

Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has failed to honour the invitation for a Chatham House conversation, the director of the Africa Programme, Alex Vines, had said.

Vines disclosed that the institute had sent an invitation to Atiku for a conversation just like it did with Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC).

While delivering an opening remark when hosting Labour Party’s flag bearer at the institute, Vines said Atiku did not respond to the invitation sent to him.

Source: Legit.ng