President Bola Tinubu has refused to meet a special envoy sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vanguard reports, in a diplomatic signal coming as anxiety persists over repeated xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
The South African government, in a statement, said Tinubu instead “designated a high-level Nigerian government delegation” to hold structured talks with the South African team. It described the engagement as “candid, constructive, and forward-looking,” with the discussions centred on rebuilding mutual goodwill and reinforcing bilateral ties between the two countries.
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Such a refusal by the Nigerian President to receive emissaries from a fellow head of state, especially when the Foreign Ministry says no prior notice was given, amounts to a refined expression of displeasure, Reuben Abati writes for Premium Times. It may also suggest the envoys were considered too low-ranking and were therefore directed to meet their Nigerian counterparts, or that Abuja intended to send a pointed message to Pretoria.
