Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), has given a reason behind President Bola Tinubu’s no-show at the ongoing 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Akinterinwa, who defended Tinubu’s no-show at UNGA 80, claimed that the development is a calculated move to sidestep what he described as a potential humiliation from United States President Donald Trump.
Speaking amid swirling speculations about Tinubu’s consecutive absence from the annual New York summit, Akinterinwa portrayed the Nigerian leader as not just Trump’s equal in intellect, but potentially sharper in navigating the treacherous waters of international relations.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the 80th UNGA, which kicked off on September 9, 2025, in New York, has drawn hundreds of world leaders to tackle pressing issues like climate action, economic inequality, and geopolitical tensions.
However, for the second year running, Tinubu decided not to attend the General Assembly, sending Vice President Kashim Shettima in his place.
Tinubu’s no-show at the UNGA has generated concerns with many Nigerians wondering why the President refused to attend such a high-level meeting.
However, Akinterinwa, a seasoned international relations scholar, dismissed critics who view the absence as a sign of weakness or disinterest.
He made this known while speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Friday, September 26, 2025.
He stated: “But when you look at the other aspect, why is our own Bola Ahmed Tinubu not going. It may be a strategy itself. One, at the level of Donald Trump, Donald Trump is an unpredictable president.
“Donald Trump thinks after action, but he does not think well before action. He is a president who can thoroughly embarrass our own president, find unnecessary excuses because Nigeria appears to be towing a sort of independentist line when it comes to the conduct and management of international affairs.
“Donald Trump doesn’t like this. Donald Trump wants to be seen as the primus inter pares in international relations.
“So in this case, this is the second time our president will not be attending. But what does that mean really? What is it that is in his head for not going? The ideal thing would have been to be there.”
“If he’s there, in which way are you going to say that Donald Trump is better than Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria? He’s not.
“And I can tell you that Ahmed Tinubu is as intelligent, if not more intelligent, than Donald Trump. He’s more cautious.
“He’s more strategic in his approach, but when you are absent, you give room for unnecessary speculations.”
Recall that Shettima, delivering Nigeria’s national address on behalf of Tinubu warned that the UN must embrace sweeping restructurings or face growing irrelevance as world events increasingly bypass its influence.
The Nigerian Vice President warned that the UN’s credibility is being undermined by the gulf between its words and its deeds while positioning Nigeria’s economic transformation as a model for developing nations.
“For all our careful diplomatic language, the slow pace of progress on these hardy perennials of the UN General Assembly debate has led some to look away from the multilateral model. Some years ago, I noticed a shift at this gathering: key events were beginning to take place outside this hall, and the most sought-after voices were no longer heads of state,” the Vice President said.
Shettima also outlined four key reform demands, starting with Nigeria’s call for permanent UN Security Council membership.
