Turkish government officials have dismissed as “silly” the furore generated in Nigeria over President Bola Tinubu’s brief loss of balance during his official visit to Türkiye, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has revealed.
Dabiri-Erewa spoke on Wednesday whilst reacting to a post on the social media platform X by one Oguntoye Opeyemi, who had commented on how Nigerian media outlets covered the episode.
Writing from Ankara, the NIDCOM chairman stated that Turkish officials expressed surprise upon discovering that the incident had become a subject of discussion in Nigerian media circles.
“Exactly. On ground here in Ankara, their officials were shocked to learn that it was an issue in Nigerian media/blogs,” she wrote.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, a Turkish government official characterised the media attention as “silly and mischievous,” adding that Türkiye remained enthusiastic about what they considered a highly successful presidential visit.
“One of them described it as ‘silly and mischievous,’ and reiterated how their country was excited about the incredible success of the visit by @officialABAT, which is all over their media here,” she disclosed.
Opeyemi had equally pointed out that no Turkish television station deemed the occurrence newsworthy, contrasting this with the extensive coverage in Nigeria.
“Not a single Turkish TV station reported the President’s accidental slip because it’s a non-issue. But Naija TV and national newspapers,” his post read.
What transpired
President Tinubu had momentarily stumbled on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past arranged in his honour at a parade ground in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
The slip occurred as the Nigerian leader participated in the guard of honour inspection alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but he was swiftly steadied by security personnel.
Video footage capturing the moment was first published by Nefes Gazetesi, a Turkish digital news platform, before circulating widely on social media platform X, showing the President walking beside Erdoğan before the brief imbalance.
Despite the video’s viral circulation within Nigeria, the Presidency has repeatedly played down the significance of the incident.
Mr Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, moved swiftly to assure Nigerians that President Tinubu remained in good health and continued with his official schedule.
“President Tinubu, after a stately welcome ceremony in Ankara, proceeded to scheduled bilateral meetings with the President of Türkiye and other senior government officials,” Dare posted on his verified X handle.
In a similar vein, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, described the episode as trivial.
“The President stepped on a metal on the floor, which made him lose his balance. This is not a big deal, except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall,” Onanuga stated.
