Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a distinguished former presidential candidate and veteran human rights activist, has laid the blame for the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Nigeria and the United States squarely at the feet of President Bola Tinubu's administration. Olawepo-Hashim, who received the prestigious Lord Max Beloff Prize in Global Affairs in 2009, asserts that the standoff, which concerns alleged Christian genocide, is a direct consequence of the Tinubu government's 'reckless and self-serving foreign policy,' rather than a fault of U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to Olawepo-Hashim, the current administration prioritizes personal, political, and pecuniary interests over Nigeria's vital national security and global reputation. He expressed deep concern over Nigeria's lack of ambassadors in many key countries and lamented the decade-long collapse of crucial bi-national and bilateral commissions designed to address pressing security and trade issues. He further criticized the ruling APC government for resorting to 'a motley crowd of poorly informed operatives and international outlaws pushing shady interests incoherently and dangerously' in its diplomatic endeavors, describing this approach as a 'Janjaweed foreign policy' that is both disgraceful and embarrassing.

Recalling Nigeria's once proud legacy as a stabilizing force on the African continent, Olawepo-Hashim highlighted the nation's past role as a reliable partner in bringing peace to West Africa through ECOMOG and its significant contributions to peacekeeping operations in Congo, Darfur, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. He contrasted this historical standing with the current 'tragic and disgraceful predicament.'

The former presidential candidate also strongly faulted attempts to downplay reports of targeted killings in Nigeria, labeling such arguments as 'fundamentally faulty.' He questioned the threshold of deaths required for the acknowledgement of 'complicity and failure to protect citizens.' Olawepo-Hashim additionally alleged that grave human rights violations are being committed daily by supporters of the ruling APC, with the administration seemingly turning a blind eye. He issued a stern warning that open threats by party loyalists against groups of voters suspected of not supporting President Tinubu in 2027 could constitute international crimes under the Rome Statute, which Nigeria has domesticated. He emphasized that such threats, directed at an ethnic group predominantly practicing one faith, cannot be dismissed as mere internal affairs, given Nigeria's numerous international human rights conventions.

As a 'Prisoner of Conscience' designated by Amnesty International in 1989, Olawepo-Hashim concluded his remarks with an urgent call for a national dialogue. This dialogue, he believes, is essential to chart a new course for Nigeria's post-Tinubu national security and foreign policy architecture. He urged genuine patriots to initiate consultations to rebuild a framework that ensures peace, stability, and the preservation of Nigeria’s sovereignty, welcoming the American initiative if it serves as a catalyst for this necessary national reawakening.