Nigeria’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly’s top-level proceedings without President Bola Tinubu did not affect the country’s placement in the chamber, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has said, insisting that Nigeria retained a prominent sixth position in the front row.
Ibrahim said the positioning was evidence that the diplomatic groundwork he had promised was achieved, despite Tinubu’s decision not to attend the session in person.
“You have to thank me and commend my effort. I said Nigeria will be in the front seat, was Nigeria not in the front seat?” Ibrahim said.
He also dismissed comparisons between Tinubu’s absence and that of US President Donald Trump, arguing that Trump himself did not remain in the General Assembly chamber after delivering his address.
“Donald Trump have any seat in the general assembly? He didn’t sit for a second, he just came in to the podium, delivered a guest speech and left from there,” he said.
According to Ibrahim, Nigeria’s sixth-place position in the front row was not accidental but reflected diplomatic engagement surrounding the country’s participation in the 81st UN General Assembly.
“I delivered on the fact that Nigeria will sit in the front row, number six,” he said.
He further suggested that Tinubu could still receive an opportunity to address the General Assembly at another appropriate time, despite his absence from the session.
The senator also defended the President’s prolonged stay in Europe, rejecting claims that Tinubu violated the Nigerian Constitution by remaining outside the country beyond the period initially announced for his annual vacation.
“The president hasn’t committed any offence. Did he breach any provision of the Constitution?” Ibrahim asked, distinguishing between a working leave and what he described as an absolute leave.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for an initially announced three-week vacation but subsequently extended his stay in Europe.
During the President’s absence from the UN General Assembly, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria and delivered the country’s national statement.
Tinubu eventually returned to Nigeria from Paris on Tuesday after spending about four weeks in Europe.
