Presidents Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa met privately on Thursday morning, ostensibly to discuss bilateral, diplomatic, and economic issues between both countries.
It is unclear if the meeting was a direct response to the controversy that arose from Tinubu’s perceived sidelining during Ramaphosa’s swearing-in ceremony for his second term on Wednesday in Pretoria. The meeting, whether pre-scheduled or not, could be seen as an attempt to address the controversy and maintain diplomatic relations.
During the event, Tinubu was placed in the back row of Heads of State, and as Ramaphosa and his wife greeted dignitaries, he appeared to overlook Tinubu.
Reactions in Nigeria were swift, with many online users characterizing the incident as humiliating.
Nigerian activist and opposition politician Aisha Yesufu criticized Tinubu, calling him a “disgrace to Nigeria”. She argued that Tinubu’s alleged snubbing at international events is due to doubts about his legitimacy as president.
However, the Nigerian presidency refuted reports of Tinubu being ignored by Ramaphosa.
Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, presented a different narrative. He shared photos on the X platform showing Ramaphosa shaking hands with Tinubu during the event. Onanuga said that all foreign dignitaries, including during Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, were seated from the second row.
Onanuga accused Yesufu of still being “bitter and toxic” after losing last year’s election to the president.
The details of Tinubu’s conversation with Ramaphosa have not been released. Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria later today.
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