President Bola Tinubu’s government has justified the president’s holiday trip to St Lucia as aimed at strengthening diplomatic and ancestral ties, highlighting how a citizen of St Lucia contributed as a medical doctor during the Nigerian civil war.

Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, explained the importance of Mr Tinubu’s holiday in the country, dismissing criticisms against the visit as “mischievous and misguided.”

“First, from the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, the visit by the Nigerian leader paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations,” the statement said.

It added, “Like many Caribbean nations, Saint Lucia has a significant population of African ancestry. In the mid-19th century, a wave of immigrants from present-day Nigeria arrived in Saint Lucia, bringing cultural and religious practices that persist today.”

The presidential spokesperson further explained that “Nigeria and the citizens of the Caribbean have strong people-to-people links,” listing the contributions of St Lucian citizens to Nigeria in times past.

The statement mentioned “Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian-born jurist who died on February 10, 1989, served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1975 to 1979.”

It added that another Lucian, Neville Skeete, an architect, contributed to the design of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s corporate headquarters. Additionally, Sir Darnley Alexander’s son, Michael, served as a medical doctor on the frontline in the Nigerian Army during the tragic civil war.”

Explanation for Mr Tinubu’s trip to St Lucia followed criticisms by opposition politician Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Obi condemned Mr Tinubu for jetting abroad for vacation amid massing killing and unprecedented hunger in the country.