The Implications Of Tinubu Not Attending The 81st UNGA Summit -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

The news is out and it is shameful that Tinubu would not be appearing at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit scheduled for Tuesday, 22^nd September, 2026. Earlier in the month, Tinubu media team had ecstatically declared that Tinubu would be attending the 81^st session of the UNGA and that a seat has been reserved for him in the front row to sit next to President Donald Trump of the United States. But alas, that was never to be. He is not qualified to attend on account of his drug-related case in the US and from a safe distance where he is hiding in France he has delegated the vice-president Kashim Shettima to represent him at the world event. And since grabbing power in 2023, Tinubu has attended the UN global world leaders’ summit only once and that was in 2023 during the Joe Biden time.

Tinubu is afraid of going to the summit. He is afraid of disgrace. He is bothered about his drug scandal and the FBI files on him. He is afraid that Nigerians in the United States would mobilize to boo him before the other world leaders. And so he has asked Kashim Shettima to go just as was the case in 2024 and 2025 UNGA summit. What a shame!

His host, Emmanuel Macron of France will leave for New York for the 81^st session of the UNGA and our own Tinubu who is supposed to be at the UNGA with other world leaders would stay in France to continue and lobby for his criminal files not to be made public. What a disgrace! It is indeed disheartening that Tinubu will be missing at the biggest forum where world leaders gather to discuss and debate issues of global relevance. While other leaders contribute to global discussion, the Nigerian president would be hibernating in France working to suppress the release of his criminal records in a foreign land.

Truly, Nigeria has never had it so bad. Indeed the nation deserves a better leader; a leader that would not hide when other leaders are congregating. Nigeria needs a leader that will make the country take its rightful place in the comity of nations; a leader that will represent the nation at the international fora and proudly fly the flag of the country. Nigeria does not deserve the leader that will cringe at the foot of other leaders begging for his inglorious record not to be released

I have pointed it before that Tinubu has given Nigeria more disgrace than the most notorious criminal that has ever lived in this country. And as such, he has lost the moral as well as the legal rights to continue to lead the African most populous country. He has made Nigeria the laughing stock of the other nations. He has turned the country from the giant of African to the dwarf of African by his ignoble past records, misdeeds and wrong policies.

And the right thing to do now is for Tinubu to resign as the president of Nigeria. But will he resign? No, he would rather die than to do that. He does not believe in ethical principles or playing by the rules. To him, “all is fair in politics,” including grabbing, snatching and running away with the ballot boxes. He has mustered every arsenal in his kitty to fight to retain power. He has turned all the state institutions into his private army to be deployed to work for him to retain power. He has borrowed money at the expense of the nation and future generations and shared to the governors and gave them targets to deliver him at the January, 2027 Presidential Poll. The governors are under intense pressure right now; every one of them trying to outdo the other in the game of trying to please the “emperor of Lagos”. This is heating up the polity as the governors and their minions are using thugs and hooligans to harass those not in their camp; and those opposed to the continued stay of Tinubu in Aso Rock Villa beyond 2027.

Obviously, Tinubu has failed woefully everywhere locally and internationally and is very much aware of that but he is not willing to let go. He can only go if he is forced out. He is prepared to hold on to power by any means necessary. Nigerians should be prepared for the battle ahead. Nigerians should be ready to perform their civic duty: vote and ensure that your vote counts. Otherwise we cannot effect the desired change in 2027.

On this note, I will join my voice with those of other well-meaning Nigerians in saying that: “Tinubu Must Go!” And we will not just declare it, we must enforce it by voting and making sure that our votes count. And together, we can reclaim our country and build the future that we desire. Long live Nigeria!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com

An actress, social activist, politician

London, UK