The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said Turkish officials dismissed the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during his visit to Türkiye as unnecessary and trivial.
Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this on Wednesday while reacting to comments on social media over the incident, which attracted wide attention in Nigeria after a video circulated online.
According to her, officials in Ankara were surprised to learn that the moment had generated debate in Nigerian media and on blogs.
“On ground here in Ankara, their officials were shocked to learn that it was an issue in Nigerian media/blogs,” she wrote on X.
She added that one Turkish official described the uproar as “silly and mischievous,” noting that attention in Türkiye was focused instead on the overall success of the President’s visit.
“One of them described it as ‘silly and mischievous,’ and reiterated how their country was excited about the incredible success of the visit by President Bola Tinubu, which is all over their media here,” Dabiri-Erewa stated.
The comment followed a post by an X user, Oguntoye Opeyemi, who observed that the incident did not feature in Türkiye’s mainstream media.
“Not a single Turkish TV station reported the President’s accidental slip because it’s a non-issue,” Opeyemi wrote.
President Tinubu had briefly stumbled on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past held in his honour at the parade ground in Ankara.
The incident occurred as he joined the guard of honour alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He was immediately assisted by security personnel and the ceremony continued without interruption.
A short video of the moment, first shared by a Turkish digital platform and later circulated on social media, went viral in Nigeria, prompting varied reactions.
The Presidency has since downplayed the incident, insisting that it had no impact on the President’s health or official duties.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu remained in good health and proceeded with all scheduled engagements.
Similarly, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the incident as minor, explaining that the President briefly lost balance after stepping on a metal surface.
He added that the moment was being exaggerated by those seeking to make mischief out of it.
The ceremonial reception, which featured the playing of both national anthems and a 21-gun salute, was followed by a closed-door bilateral meeting between Tinubu and Erdoğan.
The visit, Tinubu’s first official trip to Türkiye, is aimed at deepening diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation in areas such as defence, trade, investment, energy, media and scientific research.