Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in person, saying there was little justification for the president to travel to New York solely to deliver a brief address.
Ibrahim said more than 60 per cent of officials listed to speak at this year’s General Debate were being represented by vice-presidents or foreign ministers, making it unnecessary, in his view, for President Tinubu to make the trip for what would have been about a 15-minute speaking slot.
Speaking on Television Continental’s Beyond The Headline, Ibrahim asked why the president should board a flight to New York simply to deliver a short speech when other senior officials were representing their countries.
“What do you think President Tinubu is coming to do?” Ibrahim asked, according to reports of the interview.
He said Vice-President Kashim Shettima had adequately represented Nigeria at the General Assembly, attending high-level meetings and engaging with Nigerians in the diaspora.
Ibrahim also argued that Tinubu’s absence did not diminish Nigeria’s position at the gathering. He said Nigeria retained a prominent front-row position at the UNGA and maintained its diplomatic presence through the delegation led by Shettima.
The envoy further pointed to the absence of several other national leaders, including the presidents of South Africa, China and Russia, as evidence that countries could be represented at the high-level session by senior officials.
Tinubu’s absence from the 81st UNGA had attracted criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who questioned the president’s decision to miss the gathering for the third consecutive year. The Presidency, however, said his absence would not diminish Nigeria’s diplomatic standing or its role in international affairs.
Shettima subsequently delivered Nigeria’s national statement at the General Assembly and participated in several high-level engagements on behalf of the president.
Ibrahim maintained that the president would have an opportunity to address the General Assembly at an appropriate time, stressing that Nigeria’s diplomatic interests could still be advanced through its delegation.
