Tinubu's Sahel comment stirs diplomatic storm, AES fires back

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has found himself in a diplomatic spat with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger after he blamed the worsening insecurity in Nigeria partly on the "collapse" of security in neighbouring Sahel states. The three countries, under the Alliance of Sahel States, summoned Nigeria's chargé d'affaires in Ouagadougou on Thursday and accused the President of presenting an "inaccurate" view of the region.

Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, speaking for the three states, called Tinubu's remarks "rapid, very simplistic and surprising," and insisted that Nigeria, as a neighbour facing the same threat, should show better understanding instead of pointing fingers. He also reminded Nigeria that Niger has been fighting Boko Haram long before jihadism escalated in Burkina Faso and Mali.

This is more than a security disagreement. It reflects the widening political and diplomatic gap between Nigeria, which remains loyal to ECOWAS, and the AES states that have turned to Russia for support. Tinubu's comment may have been an offhand remark to traditional rulers, but it has exposed the fragility of regional unity. Be honest, is Nigeria's leadership in West Africa now just a title with no real influence over what happens in the Sahel?