The Presidency has firmly dismissed speculations surrounding the health of President Bola Tinubu, assuring Nigerians that the president remains hale and hearty and is fully executing his official state visit to Türkiye as scheduled.
The clarification was issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, following widespread circulation of reports and a video suggesting that the President briefly stumbled during a ceremonial march-past at the parade ground in Ankara.
The incident occurred as President Tinubu joined the guard of honour alongside his host, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, momentarily drawing attention before the ceremony proceeded without interruption. A video shared by Turkish digital news platform Nefes Gazetesi showed the Nigerian leader losing his balance briefly before being assisted by security personnel.
Addressing the incident, Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga explained that the President merely stepped on a metal object on the ground, leading to a minor loss of balance.
“The President stepped on a metal on the floor, which made him lose his balance. This is not a big deal, except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident,” Onanuga said.
“It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall.”
He urged the public to disregard attempts to sensationalise the episode, stressing that the president remained physically fit, alert and fully engaged in the demanding schedule of the state visit.
According to Dare, President Tinubu moved directly from the ceremonial reception to his scheduled bilateral engagements without any delay.
“President Tinubu, after a stately welcome ceremony in Ankara, proceeded to scheduled bilateral meetings with the President of Türkiye and other senior government officials,” he stated.
The high-level meetings are focused on strengthening diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation across key strategic sectors, including defence and security, trade and investment, energy, aviation, and broader economic development.
The Presidency described the smooth progression of the visit as a reflection of Nigeria’s renewed diplomatic outreach and the deepening partnership between both countries.
It also recalled that similar concerns had followed a previous incident in June 2024, when President Tinubu briefly slipped while mounting a parade vehicle at Eagles Square, Abuja, during the 12 June Democracy Day celebrations. On that occasion, the president later addressed the incident humorously at a dinner event, dismissing it as inconsequential.
President Tinubu commenced the state visit to Türkiye on Monday as part of efforts to consolidate cordial bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation in security, education, innovation, social development, and aviation.
During the visit, both countries are expected to hold strategic political and diplomatic consultations on shared interests in finance, communications, trade, and investment.
The programme includes meetings between senior officials of both nations, the signing of several memoranda of understanding covering scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration, and diplomatic protocol, as well as a Nigeria-Türkiye business forum designed to attract investors from both sides.
Members of the Nigerian delegation include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, among others.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of the state visit.