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Nigerian officials, citizens , the media and a retired diplomat are questioning the recent visit of St.Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas to the African Nation earlier this year. 
In a news story “Akpabio’s diplomatic foibles” published by Nigerian news outlet The Guardian Newspaper retired noted Nigerian Diplomat Olufemi Ajisafe wrote:
“Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is straying beyond the boundaries of his gubernatorial responsibilities into foreign relations and diplomatic duties. The governor has added diplomatic tours/visits, bilateral relations and international assignments to his very crowded portfolio. And seasoned diplomats are asking: what is really going on and what does the governor want to achieve? Has the Federal Government acquiesced in this? In the last one year, the governor has hosted the President of Ghana, Dr. John Mahama and the prime minister of a tiny Caribbean Island called Saint Kitts and Nevis in Uyo. Both visits were filled with pomp and pageantry with full military honours accorded the visiting leaders and their delegations. But conspicuously absent during these visits were officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To return the favour, Chief Akpabio headed for the Caribbean Island for a three-day state visit last September, honouring an invitation earlier extended to him when the prime minister visited Uyo. Prime Minister Denzil Douglas also rolled out the drums to receive Akpabio, his wife and the rest of his delegation. 
In April when the governor hosted Dr. Mahama in Uyo, in what appeared as a state visit to Akwa Ibom, the Ghanaian leader inspected guard of honour mounted by a detachment of Nigeria Police and army and was treated to a state banquet. There were senior government officials from both Ghana and Akwa Ibom State, but conspicuously absent were Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the representatives of the Federal Government. In return, Governor Akpabio was received in Accra with equal measure of welcoming ceremony. In fact as at today, there are several copies of Akwa Ibom State government official publications adorning the airport in Accra. 
Going by established diplomatic protocols, something is not right with these visits. According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia, a state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation’s head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. Although visiting heads of states and governments may step out of the host nation’s capital to visit another part of the host country, such visits must be organized as part of activities incorporated into the state visit; and they are usually an excursion to cultural, historical or educational sites of interest to the visiting leader. The visiting leader would not be entertained with banquets and there would not be inspection of guards of honour. But when the Ghanaian leader was in Uyo, the whole programme bore the trappings of one president visiting another. Akpabio is not the president of Nigeria, so what why did he host such an elaborate programme for President Mahama? Ghana is an important member of the international community, a founding member of ECOWAS and a strong member of the UN, IMF and the World Bank, among other international institutions. So why was its leader misled into such a big diplomatic faux pas? The questions I will therefore ask are: Were our security services and diplomatic corps aware of these visits? How about President Jonathan himself? Was he in the know and did he approve of Governor Akpabio’s diplomatic adventures? 
In November last year, the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a small Caribbean country, Dr. Denzil Douglas, visited Governor Akpabio in Uyo where he sought stronger cultural and economic ties between his country and Nigeria. There were banquets, dinners and inspection of guard of honour.
Dr. Douglas went further to make a few bilateral gestures to Akpabio. He said he was visiting Nigeria to establish friendship, partnership for better development and to utilise the potential of a country known as the largest Black Country in the world. The Prime Minister disclosed that they have a lot of Nigerian students studying in their medical schools, which indicates that the relationship between Nigeria and his country started with children from both countries, which has brought in a strong bond of friendship between the two countries. Dr. Douglas expressed his gratitude to Governor Akpabio for hosting him and his entourage, and explained that a sound democracy is built on a foundation of good governance as seen in Akwa Ibom State.
These are statements the visiting PM should have made to our own president, and not to a state governor. In his own statements, Governor Akpabio indicated Akwa Ibom Government’s interest to invest in the small Caribbean country, and expressed happiness with the number of medical schools in their country, which points to the fact that the country accords priority to educational development. The governor said his visit to the state and country was like a re-union, and hoped that it would be of mutual benefits to both countries. He urged him to bring their medical expertise to bear on the development of Nigeria. The Prime Minister then invited the governor to a state visit in September 2013 to attend his country’s 30th Independence anniversary. As stated earlier, Akpabio had honoured this invitation by leading a delegation of state officials and his wife to that tiny country.
The question many diplomats in the country are asking is: Was Akpabio representing President Jonathan in these bilateral discussions? If so how come our Foreign Minister was not present to guide the governor through the technical labyrinth of diplomatic politics? Although Saint Kitts and Nevis is a very small country in the Caribbean with an insignificant role in the world stage, diplomatic protocols demand that dignitaries should only relate with their opposite numbers when discussing issues of bilateral relations. A Head of State or government such as a prime minister can only pay a state visit to his opposite number, and not a provincial administrator like a state governor. It is not a secret that many Caribbean Islands are popular destinations for holidays and leisurely rendezvous. Whatever the case, it is important that the governor stay away from diplomatic responsibilities and concentrate on his duties as a state chief executive. President Jonathan ought to call this governor to order to forestall further embarrassments. In this country, international relations and foreign affairs are the exclusive responsibilities of the Federal Government; and our Constitution allows only one president at a time. It is the president that holds the sovereignty of the country, and not a governor. Not even a swashbuckling governor. “