Tinubu Has No Problem With US, Presidency Says Amid Third UNGA Absence

The Presidency has rejected speculation that President Bola Tinubu is avoiding the United States, saying his repeated absence from the United Nations General Assembly has nothing to do with any problem with Washington.

Ademola Osodi, Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, dismissed the claim as an “old chestnut”, pointing to the President’s previous trips to the US.

Tinubu will miss the 81st UNGA in New York for the third consecutive year, with Vice President Kashim Shettima mandated to lead Nigeria’s delegation.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Osodi said he personally accompanied Tinubu during one of the President’s previous UN visits.

“I was with the President when he went to the United Nations; physically I was there, you saw it on social media. He went to the stock exchange, he rang the bell, he had meetings on the side,” he said.

Osodi also pointed to Tinubu’s more recent transit through Los Angeles while travelling to Japan.

“We were in Los Angeles for few days before we flew to Yokohama, Japan. We were in America, I was there with them. So it is politics, we can talk about this every single election cycle, it is just politics,” he said.

According to the aide, Tinubu is concentrating on domestic matters, including the economy and security, rather than attending the UNGA personally.

Osodi maintained that Nigeria’s influence would remain intact regardless of whether the President attends the annual gathering.

“Nigeria has a diverse interest in all regional groups, continental groups and even groups of the South-South like the BRICS. So, the United Nations is not the only group that we are member of,” he said.

“With or without his presence there will not change Nigeria’s role as giant of Africa, the leader of the economic resurgence of Africa,” Osodi added.

He also pointed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, as part of the country’s representation at the gathering.

Ibrahim has said Nigeria will maintain its designated position at the UNGA and noted that it is not unusual for senior officials to represent presidents who cannot attend personally.

Atiku Challenges Presidency

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken a different position, demanding an explanation for Tinubu’s third straight absence.

Atiku said Tinubu missed the 79th UNGA in 2024 and the 80th in 2025, with Shettima representing him on both occasions. Shettima is again leading Nigeria’s delegation in 2026.

He argued that although the Vice President could represent the country, repeated delegation could not replace the President’s direct participation in a major diplomatic gathering.

Atiku also questioned reports that Nigeria’s UN envoy had secured Tinubu a seat close to US President Donald Trump.

“The seat was secured, but the President disappeared,” Atiku said.

He also raised questions about Tinubu’s past US legal history and whether it could have any bearing on his repeated absence.

Atiku, however, expressly stated that he was “not asserting that Tinubu is legally prohibited from entering the United States”, noting that no such restriction had been announced by the Presidency.

The Presidency had earlier rejected claims that Tinubu is facing a criminal case in the US, saying a separate proceeding concerning access to government records is a civil FOIA matter rather than a criminal trial.

The dispute over Tinubu’s UNGA attendance therefore centres on competing explanations: the Presidency says the President is focused on domestic priorities and that Nigeria remains adequately represented, while Atiku is demanding an explanation for the repeated presidential absence.

Africans Angle News