By George Omagbemi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to remain away from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York while Vice President Kashim Shettima leads Nigeria’s delegation has triggered fresh questions about the President’s international engagements.
Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for a three-week annual leave in Europe, with London as his first destination. The Presidency described the trip as a working vacation.
During the vacation, Tinubu has continued selected engagements, including a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and discussions with Vincent Bolloré on investment in Nigeria’s creative and digital economy.
However, his absence from UNGA 81 places Shettima at the centre of Nigeria’s representation at one of the world’s biggest diplomatic gatherings.
The development is particularly notable because Nigeria’s UN ambassador, Jimoh Ibrahim, had earlier said Tinubu had agreed to attend the 81st UNGA. Subsequent reports, however, indicated uncertainty over the President’s attendance.
With Shettima now leading the delegation, attention has shifted to why Tinubu will not personally attend the New York gathering and whether his decision could affect Nigeria’s diplomatic visibility.
For now, the Presidency has not publicly stated that security concerns or any other specific reason prevented Tinubu from attending.
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