Turkish Officials Were Shocked Tinubu’s Fall Dominated Nigerian Media – Abike Dabiri

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said Turkish officials were shocked that President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during a ceremony in Ankara became a major talking point in Nigerian media.

On Tuesday, Tinubu slightly slipped while taking part in a welcome ceremony in Turkey’s capital, where he was walking beside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Officials nearby quickly stepped in to support him, and he regained his balance without further incident.

After both national anthems were played, there was also a moment when Erdogan gently guided Tinubu to face the band properly.

Despite the incident lasting only a few seconds, it quickly spread across Nigerian newspapers, blogs, and social media platforms.

Reacting on Wednesday, Dabiri-Erewa, who was part of the Nigerian delegation in Ankara, said Turkish officials could not believe the moment had generated so much attention back home.

Dabiri-Erewa was reacting to a post on X by a user, Oguntoye Opeyemi, also known as Equityoyo, who criticised the level of attention Nigerian media gave to the incident.

“Exactly. On ground here in Ankara, their officials were shocked to learn that it was an issue in Nigerian media/blogs,” she wrote.

“One of them described it as ‘silly and mischievous,’ and reiterated how their country was excited about the incredible success of the visit by @officialABAT, which is all over their media here,” Dabiri-Erewa added.

However, the incident was also reported by some Turkish media outlets.

Anadolu Ajansı, the country’s state-run news agency, reported it, while independent newspapers such as Cumhuriyet, Nefes, and Yeniçağ also carried brief reports on the moment.

KanyiDaily also reported how President Bola Tinubu stumbled and fell while attempting to climb into a parade vehicle on Democracy Day in 2024.