A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has slammed the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government for what he described as Nigeria’s weak and uncoordinated diplomatic response to the recent threat issued by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, Olawepo-Hashim said he was not surprised by Trump’s comments, but by the “timid and confused” response from the Nigerian government, which he claimed reflected a breakdown of effective diplomacy under the current administration.

“I am not shocked about the threat from President Donald Trump. What shocks me is the Nigerian government’s response,” he said. “There have been hearings in the U.S. Senate on these issues for years, yet Nigeria did not have a functioning ambassador in the United States. How then do you put your story across in a serious manner?”

He accused the APC-led government of abandoning established diplomatic structures in favour of informal and unprofessional channels.

“They prefer using back channels when institutional frameworks already exist in international relations,” he said. “Your ambassador is your president in a foreign land, not the same as a chargé d’affaires. These structures—such as the bi-national commissions and bilateral committees—have been paralyzed for years.”

Olawepo-Hashim further lamented the deterioration of Nigeria’s diplomatic cooperation with neighbouring countries, including Niger Republic, which he said had weakened the country’s leadership role in West Africa.

“The APC government, particularly under President Tinubu, has pursued a reckless and incoherent foreign policy. This is not the first time we have been pushed to the brink of a foreign conflict. The first was when Tinubu threatened to go to war with Niger Republic. That was a major foreign policy blunder,” he added.

According to him, the neglect of formal diplomatic engagement has eroded Nigeria’s global influence and tarnished its long-standing reputation as a stabilising force on the continent.