Collins Eselemo – What is Tinubu going to do in the UK?
A prominent Ijaw leader and grand patron of the Ijaw Youth Congress, (IYC) Collins Eselemo, has faulted the scheduled visit of President Bola Tinubu, and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the British monarch, King Charles, asserting that the visit would only be meaningful if it is to press for the return of Nigeria’s looted funds in British banks.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that President Tinubu and the First Lady would be paying a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Wednesday, March 18 to Thursday, March 19, 2026, and would be hosted at the Windsor Castle.
This will be the first inward State Visit by a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 37 years. Three previous State Visits took place in 1973, 1981 and 1989.
But reacting to the planned visit, Eselemo, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-international footballer, described it as “nonsensical”, especially at a time when Nigerians, he noted, “are being killed by the so-called bandits and terrorists in very large numbers”.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Eselemo went down memory lane to recall how the British handed Nigeria to the northern region by allegedly helping them to rig the election against late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
According to the former president of the IYC, “President Tinubu’s visit will be very useful if he would be bold enough to tell King Charles to repatriate all our looted funds that are in UK banks. Buhari tried it. David Cameron said we are “fantastically corrupt”. Buhari said no problem but give us our money that is here and the thing ended there.
“So, if Tinubu would be bold enough to say, look, King Charles, all the monies that were looted from Nigeria since we gained independence till date, they are in the UK banks, can we have them? That will bring a big turnaround to our country and would bring down the economy of UK.
“If he’s going on that type of visit, I will applaud him; he would be the audience’s delight. But if he’s going there for ceremony or for the optics, that visit will not be necessary. You and I know that during the First Republic, Okotie-Eboh and Zik (Nnamdi Azikiwe), went. Zik was blackmailed; his hands were tied, and as a president-general of the country, the British and we are aware of it then; how they helped the north to rig the election against Obafemi Awolowo.
“The British did it; how they were biased during the elections. How they gave Nigeria to the north. The (Nasir) el-Rufais and the (Muhammadu) Buharis had said it times without numbers that the British government gave Nigeria to them and how Britain influenced our elections to be one-sided.
“The British people are making their confessions too, and we are hearing all these. Having known all these, Tinubu is saying he’s going to visit the King of England. What is the benefit there? Is he trying to severe our sovereignty?
“Okotie-Eboh, in those days, had 11 million pounds that his children had been going to court for. It was in the last five years they got the money out from Swiss bank. So, let him tell King Charles, please, we’ll maintain our relationship but all the monies that had been stolen from us, can we get them back. if that’s the reason he’s going there, better for us. Otherwise, I don’t know what Tinubu is going to do. To boost his ego, his reputation, his dignity?”
Insisting that Nigeria had passed that stage where a King or Queen would endorse our president, Eselemo posited that “The British have done us no good. They carried Oba Ovonramwen away to Calabar; King Jaja of Opobo, they emptied the royalty of the African continent and put stooges like Chief Obaseki. And the royal fathers have taken the backstage. A councillor is more politically powerful than a royal father. It was done by the British government.
“We did certificate of occupancy of 99 years that is being interpreted and adopted by the Nigerian State. So, what has the British government done for us now that Tinubu is going there to do what?”
Calling out Arise Television News anchor, Reuben Abati on his views on President Tinubu’s planned visit, Eselemo said, “Dr. Reuben Abati of Arise Television was saying Tinubu’s visit would be a way forward for Nigeria and that it is giving credibility to Asiwaju’s government. “Can you imagine someone like Dr. Abati saying that without considering the historical antecedents of the British against Nigerian citizens. Then, that Tinubu’s wife’s visit to America is welcome. How dare you? We get our credibility from the Diaspora? When I watched him, I cried.
“So, between you and I now, what is Tinubu going there to do? With Nigeria in this situation? That King Charles should come and stop the killing of Christians?”