By Opeyemi Adelakun
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to stay away from the United Nations General Assembly for the third consecutive year.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Tinubu’s absence from the 79th UNGA in 2024, the 80th in 2025 and the ongoing 81st session in 2026 required an explanation.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has represented Nigeria at the three sessions.
Atiku argued that although the Vice President could adequately represent the country, presidential participation at the annual global gathering provided opportunities for direct diplomatic engagements, bilateral meetings, investment discussions and negotiations.
He also questioned reports that Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, had secured a seat for Tinubu close to where United States President Donald Trump was expected to sit.
“If proximity to President Trump was considered such a diplomatic achievement, why did Tinubu abandon the opportunity and send his deputy?” Atiku asked.
The former vice president further questioned the Federal Government’s reported expenditure of up to $9 million on American lobbyists, asking what Nigerians had gained from the engagement while the President repeatedly stayed away from the UNGA in New York.
Atiku also linked Tinubu’s absence to past controversies surrounding his activities in the United States.
He referred to a 1993 forfeiture case in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois involving funds held in accounts associated with Tinubu, alleging that the proceedings had involved claims relating to narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
The statement, however, acknowledged that there had been no announcement by the Presidency that Tinubu was legally barred from travelling to the United States.
“We are not asserting that Tinubu is legally prohibited from entering the United States,” Atiku said, while asking whether the President’s US history had influenced his repeated absence from the UNGA.
He urged the Presidency to state whether any legal, diplomatic, medical or personal impediment was responsible for Tinubu’s decision not to attend the gathering.
“If there is no impediment, the Presidency must explain this serial absenteeism. If an impediment exists, Nigerians have a right to know,” Atiku said.
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