By Ashiru Taofeek Adewale
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Turkish officials dismissed the debate in Nigeria over President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during his official visit to the country as “silly”.
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa stated this Wednesday while reacting to a post on X by a user, Oguntoye Opeyemi, also known as Equityoyo, who criticised the level of attention Nigerian media gave to the incident.
Turkish officials expressed surprise that the brief moment had sparked significant coverage in Nigerian media, describing the focus as “silly and mischievous.” They emphasized that President Tinubu’s visit was being widely celebrated across Türkiye, with positive reports dominating local news.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that officials in Ankara were taken aback to learn the incident had become a topic of discussion in Nigerian outlets. Separately, Opeyemi confirmed that the event was not covered by Türkiye’s mainstream press.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday as President Tinubu moved to join a guard of honour alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, lasted only moments. The Nigerian leader was swiftly steadied by security personnel, and the parade proceeded without further interruption.
While a short clip from a Turkish digital outlet circulated online, the moment was notably absent from Turkey’s mainstream television and newspaper coverage. Officials on the ground expressed surprise at its amplification abroad.
“Not a single Turkish TV station reported the President’s accidental slip because it’s a non-issue,” remarked one observer close to the delegation, contrasting the silence in Turkish media with the coverage in Nigeria.
The reaction in Nigeria has been mixed, with some commentators online seizing on the clip to question the President’s fitness, while others urged a focus on the visit’s substantive outcomes.
Turkish authorities, however, have firmly redirected attention to the broader context of the visit – President Tinubu’s first official trip to Türkiye – which aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defence, trade, energy, and scientific research. Officials reiterated that the visit is being positively received and widely reported across Türkiye for its diplomatic significance.
The emphasis from Ankara remains squarely on forging stronger partnerships, with the momentary lapse dismissed as irrelevant to the productive talks and agreements underway between the two nations.
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