Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu avoided travelling to the United States for the 81st United Nations General Assembly because he feared being arrested.
Mr Okonkwo made the claim while speaking on Arise News, following President Tinubu’s decision to remain in Nigeria while Vice-President Kashim Shettima leads the country’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York.
“Tinubu is hiding. He is running away from being arrested by Trump,” Mr Okonkwo alleged.
He questioned why the president had again chosen not to attend the annual gathering of world leaders in person, noting that Mr Tinubu has now missed the UN General Assembly for three consecutive years after attending in 2023.
Mr Okonkwo also linked the president’s absence to renewed attention surrounding historical legal proceedings in the United States involving about $460,000 that was forfeited to US authorities in the 1990s.
He argued that the issue, alongside ongoing efforts to access historical US records relating to Mr Tinubu, raised questions about the president’s decision to stay away from the US.
The allegation, however, has not been established by evidence showing that President Tinubu faces an arrest order or travel restriction in the United States.
The Nigerian government has rejected suggestions that Mr Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA is connected to any restriction on his movement. The Presidency said his decision was based on domestic priorities and that his absence would not affect Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had also previously said there was no notification from the US government restricting Mr Tinubu’s movement and cited protections governing the transit of representatives attending official UN activities. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Vice-President Shettima is representing Nigeria at the General Assembly and is scheduled to deliver the country’s national statement on Thursday, 24 September. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Mr Okonkwo’s comments have added a fresh political dimension to the debate over President Tinubu’s repeated absence from the UNGA, with the opposition demanding greater explanation while the government maintains that the president remains fully engaged in the affairs of state.
