Turkish Officials Shocked Tinubu’s Stumble Made Headlines in Nigeria – Abike Dabiri
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has disclosed that Turkish officials were surprised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s brief stumble during his official visit to Turkey became a major subject of public debate and media coverage in Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa made this known while reacting to the controversy that followed a short video clip showing the president momentarily missing a step during an official engagement in Turkey. According to her, Turkish authorities who witnessed the incident dismissed the uproar in Nigeria as “silly”, noting that such a minor occurrence would not ordinarily attract attention in their country.
She explained that President Tinubu quickly regained his balance and continued with his official duties without any issue, stressing that the incident had no impact on the meetings, discussions, or outcomes of the visit.
“The Turkish officials were shocked that something so minor could trend and become an issue back home,” Dabiri-Erewa said. “To them, it was nothing out of the ordinary.”
The NIDCOM chairman lamented what she described as the tendency to magnify trivial matters while ignoring more substantive national issues. She urged Nigerians to focus on the core objectives of international engagements, such as strengthening diplomatic ties, attracting investment, and promoting Nigeria’s interests abroad.
Dabiri-Erewa also reminded the public that leaders are human and susceptible to minor slips, adding that such moments should not be politicised or weaponised.
She concluded by calling for a more mature public discourse, encouraging citizens and the media to prioritise issues that contribute meaningfully to national development rather than amplifying distractions.
