Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded an explanation from President Bola Tinubu over his third consecutive absence from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He wondered whether issues surrounding the President’s past drug case with United States authorities have affected Nigeria’s foreign relations.
His comments followed Sunday’s announcement by the Presidency that Tinubu had mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him and lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of UNGA in New York.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said Tinubu was absent from the 79th UNGA in 2024 and the 80th in 2025, with Shettima representing him on both occasions, and argued the pattern could no longer be dismissed as routine delegation.
“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,” Atiku said.
He added that repeated delegation cannot substitute for a president’s personal authority and visibility at a major diplomatic gathering.
The former VP said the resulting missed opportunities for bilateral meetings, investment partnerships and development financing carry a real economic cost.
“The cost is eventually transferred to ordinary citizens: fewer investments mean fewer businesses and fewer jobs,” he said, also questioning reports that Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, had secured Tinubu a seat near US President Donald Trump at the Assembly:
“The seat was secured, but the President disappeared.”
Atiku Queries $9 Million Lobbying Spend, Tinubu’s US Legal Record
Atiku also questioned the reported spending of up to $9 million on American lobbyists by the Tinubu administration, asking why Nigeria would spend such a sum on lobbying in the United States while the President repeatedly stayed away from the UN gathering in New York.
“What exactly did Nigerians purchase with that money?” he asked.
He went further, pointing to forfeiture proceedings in Case No. 93 C 4483 before the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which he said involved funds held in accounts in Tinubu’s name and those of associated companies, alleged in court documents to be connected to narcotics trafficking and money laundering, proceedings that eventually resulted in the forfeiture of approximately $460,000 to the US government.
“Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask whether Tinubu’s three consecutive UNGA absences have anything to do with this documented American history,” Atiku said, while clarifying: “We are not asserting that Tinubu is legally prohibited from entering the United States. The Presidency has announced no such restriction.”
Atiku Says Nigeria’s Reputation “Must Not Be Subordinated”
The 5th-time presidential candidate argued that if no legal, diplomatic, medical or personal impediment exists, the Presidency should explain the decision to stay away from the General Assembly.
“Has one man’s personal history become a burden on Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement?” he asked, contrasting Tinubu’s domestic political posture with his absence from major international forums and questioning the decision to send the Vice President to represent Nigeria for a third consecutive year.
“Nigeria is bigger than Bola. Our diplomatic influence, economic interests and international reputation must not be subordinated to Tinubu’s American baggage. After committing up to $9 million to American lobbyists, Nigerians deserve more than silence, evasions and another empty presidential seat at the United Nations. Mr Bola, your seat was reportedly secured near President Donald Trump. Why did you refuse to occupy it? What exactly are you afraid of in America?” Atiku said.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
