Olushola Omogbehin
Following a minor stumble by President Tinubu during a ceremonial reception in Ankara on Tuesday, the Presidency has assured Nigerians that the President is in good health and going on with his scheduled visit to Türkiye very well.
Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, disclosed this through his verified X handle.
“President Tinubu, after a stately welcome ceremony in Ankara, proceeded to scheduled bilateral meetings with the President of Türkiye and other senior government officials,” the statement read.
He revealed further that the objectives of the meetings are meant to deepen diplomatic relations and expanding cooperation across strategic sectors, such as defence and security, trade and investment, energy.
He said the smooth progression of the visit is a reflection of the growing ties between Nigeria and Türkiye and underscores Nigeria’s renewed diplomatic outreach under President Tinubu.
Speaking on Tinubu’s wellbeing, Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, said that the stumble was minor and caused by the President stepping on a metal object on the floor.
“The President stepped on a metal on the floor, which made him lose his balance. This is not a big deal, except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall,” he said.
According to a video posted by Turkish digital news platform Nefes Gazetesi, Tinubu was walking alongside President Erdoğan before briefly losing balance but it did not affect the ceremony because he was quickly assisted by secret service.
both leaders withdrew for a closed-door bilateral meeting to discuss strategic national interests after the reception which began around 5:00 pm local time and ended with 21-gun salute.
The two leaders will also brainstorm on strategic political and diplomatic engagement on shared values in finance, communication, trade, and investment.
Memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media, military, and protocol.
This marks Nigeria’s reciprocal official visit to Türkiye after Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
