Why Tinubu’s UNGA absence shouldn’t matter – Anyim

Former Senate President Pius Anyim has dismissed concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying the President’s decision to stay away should not be a major issue.

Anyim, who also served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said Tinubu was currently on a short leave and had appropriately delegated Vice-President Kashim Shettima to represent Nigeria at the international gathering.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS’ Prime Time on Monday, Anyim said there was nothing unusual about the Vice-President standing in for the President at the UNGA.

“I really don’t understand why his absence should be an issue. I think Nigerians know very well that the President is on short leave, a short vacation.

“He simply assigned his Vice President to undertake the assignment. I don’t know why we are making so much out of this. There is nothing that compares to the President being at UNGA. The Vice President can represent the country, even the Foreign Minister,” he said.

Tinubu is currently out of the country on what the Presidency has described as a short working vacation, with Shettima attending the UNGA on Nigeria’s behalf.

Anyim argued that the UNGA was not limited to the main General Assembly session, noting that the event also features bilateral and multilateral meetings.

According to him, the President’s physical presence would become necessary where he had specific engagements that required his personal attendance.

“The structure of UNGA involves the General Assembly and side meetings. Side meetings could be bilateral or multilateral. What you present in that General Assembly statement is simply reading a statement from your country. This is something that the Vice President can do,” he said.

The former Senate president also played down concerns that Tinubu could miss an opportunity to meet United States President Donald Trump during the UN gathering.

He explained that meetings involving heads of government were normally scheduled in advance rather than left to chance.

“It’s not about meeting the President by chance. The fact that you sit together with the President doesn’t mean anything. The President of America normally would have a schedule set ahead of time,” he said.

Anyim further noted that Tinubu was not the only world leader who had chosen not to attend the annual UN gathering in person.

“It doesn’t matter. After all, there are many heads of state who don’t go,” he said.