A Nigerian political scientist has issued an open letter to King Charles III, urging him to cancel or postpone any proposed state visit involving Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.
Kio Amachree, who describes himself as coming from a distinguished political family in Nigeria, said the planned Tinubu state visit would be a “strategic and moral error” given the country’s current instability.
In the letter, Amachree outlines his family’s historic role in Nigeria’s constitutional development. He identifies his grandfather as Chief Sekin Amachree, a prominent Kalabari leader, and his late father, Chief Godfrey Kio JaJa Amachree QC, as Nigeria’s first Solicitor-General and Acting Attorney-General.
He also highlights his education at Eton College, noting his longstanding relationship with Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the Provost of Eton and a senior figure within the British establishment.
Amachree argues that Nigeria is facing deep security, economic and political crises, including terrorism, kidnappings, inflation and widespread public distrust in democratic institutions. He claims that millions of Nigerians do not view President Tinubu as a legitimate national unifier.
According to the letter, allegations of corruption, disputes over academic records and concerns about institutional capture continue to shadow Tinubu’s presidency. Amachree warns that a high-profile Tinubu state visit to the United Kingdom would be interpreted by many Nigerians as an endorsement of contested leadership.
He further states that with the 2027 election cycle approaching, public anxiety is growing over the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy. Hosting the president at the highest ceremonial level, he argues, could send the wrong diplomatic signal at a volatile moment.
Amachree concludes that the British Crown should not be drawn into what he describes as political validation amid domestic controversy, warning that such optics could fuel public anger across Nigeria.
On February 8, Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles will host Tinubu, for a state visit, the first by a Nigerian President to the United Kingdom in 37 years.
Chronicle NG reported that Tinubu and his wife, Mrs Oluremi will be guests of the King at Windsor Castle from March 18 to 19, marking a significant moment in UK–Nigeria diplomatic relations.
