Tinubu on annual leave, VP Shettima to lead Nigeria’s UN delegation
President Bola Tinubu
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Federal Government has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, having mandated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him and lead Nigeria’s delegation.
According to a statement signed on Monday by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Vice President Shettima “will deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements with world leaders, international organisations and development partners.”
The government said Nigeria “will therefore be fully and effectively represented throughout the high-level session,” adding that the vice president “carries the full mandate of the President and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Shettima’s engagements are expected to focus on Nigeria’s priorities in areas such as “peace and security, economic development, climate action, reform of the global financial architecture, sustainable development and international cooperation.”
The statement explained that President Tinubu “is currently on annual leave,” and that his decision to ask the vice president to lead the delegation “is neither unusual nor a diminution of the country’s diplomatic standing.”
It also pushed back against recent commentary by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a US-based lobbying group retained by him, which questioned Tinubu’s non-attendance.
The government described the claims as “false and baseless motives” and warned that “speculation should not be presented to Nigerians or the international community as established fact.”
While acknowledging that “political opposition and robust public debate are legitimate features of democracy,” the statement urged political actors to “exercise responsibility when discussing matters affecting Nigeria’s international relationships and national reputation.”
On Nigeria’s relationship with the United States, the government said it values long-standing cooperation in “trade and investment, security cooperation, energy, democratic institutions, regional stability and extensive people-to-people ties.”
It stressed that this relationship “is conducted through established diplomatic and governmental channels and should not be confused with partisan commentary or the activities of private lobbying organisations acting on behalf of political clients.”
The statement concluded with a call to Nigerians and the media to “distinguish between verified information, legitimate political opinion and unsubstantiated speculation,” assuring that “Nigeria will be fully represented in New York. Nigeria’s interests will be vigorously advanced.”
