Nigeria deserves UN security council seat, Biden tells Tinubu in phone conversation

Nigeria deserves UN security council seat, Biden tells Tinubu in phone conversation 

United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday had a telephone conversation with President Bola Tinubu during which he expressed his country’s commitment to ensuring Africa have two permanent seats at the United Nations security council.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said Biden stated the US support for Nigeria’s quest for a permanent UN security council seat.

Tuggar said the 30-minute phone call between the two leaders was against the backdrop of the release of Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of finance crime compliance, on October 23.

In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Binance, a cryptocurrency firm, and Gambaryan, on allegations of money laundering.

Gambaryan was in detention for eight months.

At a court hearing on October 23, the EFCC announced the decision of the federal government to withdraw the charges against Gambaryan.

Tuggar said Biden was grateful for Gambaryan’s release.

The minister quoted the US President as saying that he did not see why Nigeria should not have a permanent seat at the UN security council.

“The two leaders also discussed the issue of permanent seats, and the United Nations security council and President Biden once again assured that the United States is committed to seeing Africa having two permanent seats,” Tuggar added.

Africa has long clamoured for equal representation in what is believed to be the most powerful UN body.