The Nigerian Presidency has revealed the reason President Bola Tinubu stumbled during a ceremonial march-past organised for his reception at the parade ground in Türkiye.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a press statement, explained that Tinubu stumbled after stepping on a metal.
Onanuga said it was the metal that made the President lose his balance.
Describing the incident as no big deal, Onanuga clarified that President Tinubu did not fall but only tumbled.
According to him: “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 a mischief out of the fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall.”
Onanuga emphasized that the incident was a minor physical slip and not a reflection of any underlying health concern, noting that the President is currently engaged in intensive diplomatic talks.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the momentary mishap, which was captured in a trending video, showed the President losing his footing while navigating the parade ground.
The incident occurred as the President joined the guard of honour, drawing momentary attention before the programme continued without disruption.
A video posted on X by Turkish digital news platform Nefes Gazetesi shows Tinubu walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, before he stumbled to the ground.
The Secret Service quickly assisted him.
Tuesday’s reception commenced at about 5:00 pm local time with the simultaneous playing of the national anthems of both nations and a ceremonial 21-gun salute.
Following the completion of the ceremonial formalities, both leaders withdrew into a closed-door bilateral meeting, where discussions on matters of strategic national importance were expected to take place.
It is Tinubu’s first official visit to the European nation, a reciprocal engagement following Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu’s visit aims to consolidate the long-standing cordial relations between Nigeria and Türkiye, while exploring new areas of cooperation to deepen a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.
Onanuga said in a statement on Sunday that both countries will engage in strategic political and diplomatic discussions on shared values in finance, communication, trade, and investment during the visit.
The presidential aide added that the agenda will include meetings between high-ranking officials of both nations and the signing of memoranda of understanding in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military cooperation, and protocol, among others.
A business forum is expected to be held on the sidelines of the visit to connect Nigerian and Turkish investors and unlock opportunities for mutual economic growth.
Senior Nigerian officials who received the President at his hotel include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd).
