Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Democratic Front (TDF) has welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s demand for two permanent seats for Africa on the UN Security Council.
In a statement by its Chairman Mallam Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Chief Wale Adedayo, the group argued that the advocacy could not have
It said: “In our observation, President Tinubu displayed a deep sense of knowledge and a greater deal of wisdom in knowing why developmental challenges in the African continent have attracted less global support, despite its enormous contributions to global affairs, coupled with its inexhaustible potential in raw materials for global industrial development.
“We also align with the President’s opposition to the continuous subjugation of Africa and Africans to the global power distribution template that was designed in 1945, precisely 81 years ago, because such a skewed and outdated template cannot respond adequately to the contemporary challenges that confront modern-day Africa.
” We acknowledge that Africa is politically, economically and socially disadvantaged due to its underrepresentation in the current world governance architecture, with consequential effects for socio-economic growth. This is why we believe that President Bola Tinubu’s advocacy for two permanent seats for Africa in the United Nations Security Council is a valid obligation which the current generation of African leaders owes the continent.”
The group added that the President had been consistent in his advocacy for the greater good of the African continent.
“It is also important to recall that President Tinubu has consistently utilised opportunities presented by every international forum to appeal for greater access to concessional financing, fair economic decision-making, and comprehensive debt relief for African nations by allowing for a balanced representation in global institutions, since he was elected Nigeria’s President in 2023.
“It is equally exciting to remember that at a recent Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, co-hosted by the French President Emmanuel Macron and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, President Tinubu showcased his leadership of the continent when he committed to offering Nigeria’s deep blue project maritime intelligence infrastructure as a shared data hub for willing Gulf of Guinea States.
“Indeed, President Tinubu deserves our commendation for his advocacy on Africa’s quest for two permanent seats in the UN Security Council through subtle and strategic diplomacy, without prejudice to Nigeria’s bilateral obligations towards other countries.
“The imbalance in the Security Council against Africa should be a thing of concern to every well-meaning nation and citizen of the world. The plethora of socio-economic and political challenges that bedevilled Africa can only be brought into proper focus and perspective for a lasting solution if the continent is accorded two permanent memberships, as advocated by President Tinubu.
“Contrary to insinuations by the opposition on the absence of the President at UNGA, he has shown that the presence or absence of a leader does not diminish or jeopardise a nation’s chance to present its case to the world,” it said.
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