Atiku demands answers over Tinubu’s absence from UNGA for third year

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded an explanation from President Bola Tinubu over his decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, questioning whether the President’s past controversies in the United States have become a burden on Nigeria’s foreign relations.Tinubu has mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UNGA, which begins its high-level General Debate tomorrow.

Shettima departed Nigeria yesterday for New York. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Tinubu had also been absent from the 79th UNGA in 2024 and the 80th in 2025, with Shettima representing him on both occasions.

Atiku said the repeated absences required an explanation, arguing: “The United Nations General Assembly is one of the world’s most important diplomatic gatherings. It brings together the representatives of the UN’s 193 member states and provides a unique platform for presidents and prime ministers to defend their countries’ interests, negotiate partnerships and shape global decisions on trade, security and development.” Vice President Shettima may represent Nigeria capably, but representation by delegation cannot permanently substitute for the personal authority, visibility and responsibility of the President.”He added: “Tinubu cannot continue to treat Nigeria’s seat at the world’s biggest diplomatic table as though it were an inconvenient appointment that can be endlessly outsourced.”Atiku also questioned the economic implications of the President’s absence, saying UNGA sidelines provide opportunities for leaders to engage investors, development partners and other governments.

“When a President makes himself absent from that stage for three consecutive years, his country loses opportunities,” he said. Investment does not follow silence. International capital does not pursue a country whose leader repeatedly abandons the room in which consequential economic relationships are being built.”