The absence of President Bola Tinubu from the 81st United Nations General Assembly has sparked fresh political controversy, with Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, alleging that the President stayed away from the United States because of fears of arrest.
Okonkwo made the claim during an appearance on Prime Time, where he questioned why Tinubu had once again not attended the annual UN gathering in New York.
“Tinubu is hiding. He is running away from being arrested by Trump,” Okonkwo alleged.
Tinubu has not attended the UN General Assembly in person for three consecutive years. He attended the 78th session in 2023, while Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him at the 2024, 2025 and now 2026 sessions.
Okonkwo argued that the repeated absence required an explanation, particularly amid renewed public discussion over historical US records involving Tinubu.
He also recalled earlier comments by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, who had said Tinubu was expected to attend the gathering and sit alongside US President Donald Trump.
“The President did not go,” Okonkwo said, questioning the change in plans.
The campaign spokesperson linked Tinubu’s absence to renewed attention surrounding a 1993 US civil forfeiture matter involving about $460,000.
He also questioned why records relating to the matter were being contested, referring to allegations surrounding Tinubu’s past.
However, the Presidency has maintained that the current US legal matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute under the Freedom of Information Act, rather than a criminal case against Tinubu. It has rejected suggestions that the President is avoiding the United States because of the matter.
There has also been no public indication from the US government that Tinubu faces an arrest restriction connected to his attendance at the UN General Assembly.
The Nigerian government has said Tinubu’s absence is because he is on an extended working vacation and continues to direct affairs of government while abroad.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week vacation. The Presidency later announced that he had extended his stay by a few days and was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.
During his stay in Europe, Tinubu travelled from London to Paris, where the Presidency said he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and other officials.
Vice President Shettima travelled to New York to represent the President at the UN General Assembly and is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement.
The Federal Government has also rejected criticism over Tinubu’s absence, saying Shettima is attending the UNGA with the President’s full mandate and will participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements.
Okonkwo, however, maintained that Tinubu’s repeated absence from the United States raises questions that the government should answer.
“Every reasonable man will say he is running away from the United States of America,” he said.
The controversy comes as political debate intensifies ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, with opposition figures and the Presidency offering sharply different explanations for the President’s decision not to attend the UN gathering personally.
Source: Arise News
