The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, and a former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), were among about 200 leaders from 91 countries who attended an international leaders forum organised by the Board of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, United States of America.
Obi confirmed attendance of the meeting with Osinbajo when he shared photographs and a tweet on his X handle on Wednesday.
The former two-term Anambra State governor wrote: “Upon personal invitation from the Board of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), I along with two other eminent Nigerians, and about two hundred other distinguished political leaders from over 91 countries, including former Heads of Governments, were invited to participate in the 2024 International Leaders Forum (ILF) on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, holding on 19-22 August 2024. I am honoured and grateful to Senator Thomas Daschle and the Board of NDI for the gracious invitation. Over the years, NDI has identified and invited key senior politicians and policymakers from around the world to observe an important and rich facet of the United States of America’s democratic process.
“The ILF gathering serves as an opportunity for such leaders drawn from across diverse nationalities, ideologies and geographies to build relationships based on their commonality of shared experiences while identifying, peculiarities as well as common interests and addressing pressing challenges to democratic institutions, values and norms. As President Tamara Wittes stated “Democracy is about communities making collective decisions even when people may have real differences of view – and so healthy democracy relies on fostering open dialogue and trust. Without that trust, every political argument and every election becomes a zero-sum, existential battle.”
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“This issue of trust & value was discussed during presentations and exchanges by participants including DNC Chair Jamie Harrison, former DNC Chair, and now Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Prime Minister of Kosovo, Former Prime Minister of Denmark, Former NATO Secretary General, & others. The ILF offer those of us from Africa’s nascent and evolving democracies the opportunity to share our experiences and learn from others, various norms germane to building resilient democracies.
“I am elated to be part of this process of conversations on global democracy trends and look forward to what promises to be very fruitful deliberations and constructive engagement.”
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