The Presidency has firmly dismissed claims suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York was due to legal or immigration restrictions in the United States. Officials described such insinuations as baseless political propaganda, emphasizing that the President’s non-attendance should not be construed as a diplomatic setback.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, said there was “absolutely no impediment” to Tinubu travelling to the United States, insisting that the President’s decision to delegate Vice President Kashim Shettima should not be interpreted as a sign of diminished Nigerian diplomacy.
Oshodi, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on Sunday evening, said questions over the President’s decision not to personally attend the UNGA were legitimate, but dismissed attempts to link his absence to fears of arrest or restrictions by US authorities. PoliticalNews Subscription
“There is absolutely no impediment. You know, for absolutely no reason, it is pure politics. This election season is a silly season of people saying things for electoral advantage. It is that simple”, Oshodi said.
“So this is pure nonsense, and it’s politics”, he added.
The presidential aide said Tinubu had travelled to the United States since becoming President, recalling that he attended the 78th UNGA in New York in 2023 and undertook engagements outside the UN Headquarters district, including a visit to NASDAQ.
He also said the President was in Los Angeles in August 2025 before travelling onward to Brazil, adding that he personally accompanied Tinubu on the trips.
Oshodi argued that presidential attendance at the UNGA should not be the sole measure of a country’s seriousness about foreign policy, saying diplomacy also depends on strong institutions, continuity, the authority of representatives, and concrete outcomes from international engagements.
His comments followed public debate over Tinubu’s decision to mandate Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA for the third consecutive year.
Shettima also delivered Nigeria’s national statements at the 79th and 80th sessions in 2024 and 2025, respectively, while Tinubu last attended the gathering personally in 2023. NigeriaNews Subscription
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Oshodi said Shettima, as Nigeria’s second-highest elected official, carries the President’s full mandate and possesses sufficient authority to articulate and advance Nigeria’s interests at the global gathering.
He said the Vice President would be supported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim; and other senior government officials.
Shettima arrived in New York on Monday to represent Tinubu and lead the Nigerian delegation. He is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in bilateral and multilateral engagements during the high-level week.
According to Oshodi, Nigeria is going into the UNGA with substantial priorities, including insecurity across the Sahel, the direction of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, reform of the global financial architecture, climate action and stronger African representation in international institutions.
He stressed that the issues being pursued in New York have direct implications for Nigerians, particularly in security cooperation, investment, climate financing, employment opportunities, government revenue and the country’s capacity to protect its citizens.
The presidential aide also maintained that Nigeria’s foreign policy engagements extended beyond the annual UN gathering, citing the country’s activities through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), BRICS and bilateral relationships.
“UNGA High-Level Week brings world leaders together and creates valuable opportunities for direct engagement. That value should be recognised, but it cannot become the sole measure of a country’s diplomatic commitment,” he said.
Oshodi said the appropriate measure of Nigeria’s performance at the UNGA should be whether the country’s positions were effectively advanced and whether its engagements yielded useful outcomes for Nigerians.
“Public scrutiny of presidential attendance is healthy, but Nigeria is fully represented with sufficient authority. A fuller judgement must also consider whether Nigeria clearly advances its positions and whether its engagements produce useful results for Nigerians.
“That is the standard by which Nigeria’s participation at UNGA 81 should be assessed”, he said.
The General Debate of the 81st UNGA is scheduled for September 22 to 28 under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all”.
