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Tinubu Skip 80th UNGA summit in New York to avoid embarrassment from U.S. President Trump — Ex-NIIA DG
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Bola Akinterinwa, has suggested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to skip the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York may have been a calculated move to avoid possible embarrassment from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Akinterinwa noted that while Vice President Kashim Shettima stood in for Tinubu, the absence of Nigeria’s president has raised questions. He, however, argued that Tinubu might have deliberately stayed away, given Trump’s unpredictable and confrontational style.
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“Donald Trump thinks after action, but he does not think well before action. He is a president who can thoroughly embarrass our own president, find unnecessary excuses because Nigeria appears to be towing a sort of independentist line when it comes to international affairs,” Akinterinwa said.
According to him, Trump prefers to assert dominance in global diplomacy and often clashes with leaders who project autonomy on the world stage. “Donald Trump doesn’t like this. He wants to be seen as the primus inter pares in international relations,” he added.
The former NIIA boss, however, maintained that Tinubu is no less capable than the U.S. leader, describing him as more strategic and measured in his approach. “If he’s there, in which way are you going to say that Donald Trump is better than Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria? He’s not. Tinubu is as intelligent, if not more, and certainly more cautious,” Akinterinwa stated.
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Despite the arguments for Tinubu’s absence, Akinterinwa stressed that attending such global gatherings remains important to counter speculations. “When you are absent, you give room for unnecessary speculations. The ideal thing would have been to be there,” he noted.
Meanwhile, in his speech delivered by Vice President Shettima, Tinubu called for sweeping reforms at the UN, warning that the global body risks sliding into irrelevance if it continues to lag behind on key global issues. He emphasized Nigeria’s demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and urged a restructuring that aligns with current global realities.
Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s economic transformation as an emerging model for developing countries, while cautioning that the UN must close the gap between its promises and actions if it wants to retain credibility in global governance.
