The Democratic Front (TDF) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for advocating two permanent seats for Africa on the United Nations Security Council, described the demand as a necessary step towards addressing the continent’s underrepresentation in global governance.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group said Tinubu’s advocacy reflected an understanding of the developmental challenges confronting Africa and the need for greater representation in international decision-making.
TDF argued that despite Africa’s significant contributions to global affairs and its abundant natural resources, the continent had continued to receive inadequate international support for its development challenges.
The group also aligned with the President’s opposition to what it described as the continued subjugation of Africa under the global power distribution structure established in 1945, arguing that the existing arrangement was outdated and insufficient to address the continent’s contemporary realities.
According to the group, Africa’s political, economic and social disadvantages are compounded by its limited representation in the current global governance architecture, with adverse consequences for socioeconomic development.
It described Tinubu’s demand for two permanent seats on the Security Council as an obligation that the current generation of African leaders owes the continent.
TDF further noted that Tinubu had consistently used international platforms to advocate greater access to concessional financing, fairer economic decision-making and comprehensive debt relief for African countries since assuming office in 2023.
The group also cited the President’s participation in the recent Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto, where Tinubu reportedly committed to making Nigeria’s deep blue project maritime intelligence infrastructure available as a shared data hub for willing Gulf of Guinea countries.
It said the commitment demonstrated his efforts to promote regional cooperation and strengthen maritime security across the continent.
The group maintained that Tinubu’s advocacy for Africa’s permanent representation on the Security Council through strategic diplomacy deserved commendation, adding that the imbalance in the Council’s composition should concern nations and citizens committed to a more representative global order.
According to TDF, granting Africa two permanent seats would help ensure that the continent’s socioeconomic and political challenges receive greater attention in international deliberations and efforts to find lasting solutions.
Addressing criticisms over Tinubu’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the group argued that a leader’s physical presence at an international gathering did not necessarily determine a country’s ability to present its position or advance its interests on the global stage.
It maintained that the President’s diplomatic engagements demonstrated that Nigeria could continue to pursue its interests and Africa’s broader aspirations through strategic international relations.
