FG defends Tinubu’s UNGA absence, says Nigeria “fully represented”

The Federal Government has clarified Nigeria’s participation at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York following public commentary over President Bola Tinubu’s absence, Daily Post reports.

In a statement, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris said Tinubu mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation, deliver the national statement, and hold bilateral engagements with world leaders.

“Vice President Shettima carries the full mandate of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria… Nigeria will therefore be fully and effectively represented throughout the high-level session,”

Idris said, adding that Tinubu is currently on annual leave and that his decision was “neither unusual nor a diminution of the country’s diplomatic standing.”

The minister further addressed criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a US-based lobbying firm retained by him, insisting that “speculation should not be presented to Nigerians or the international community as established facts.”

He urged political actors to exercise responsibility, stressing that Nigeria’s relationship with the US runs through established diplomatic channels rather than “partisan commentary.”

The government maintained that Nigeria’s interests would still be “vigorously advanced” in New York, despite the president’s continued absence from the summit.