Tinubu not only leader absent at UNGA81 — Gov Sule
Sekinat Osundiji
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule said President Bola Tinubu is not the only world leader absent from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Sule, who spoke in a virtual interview on TVC, said the President’s absence did not diminish Nigeria’s diplomatic standing, noting that several countries were also represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is representing Tinubu at the ongoing General Assembly, leading Nigeria’s delegation and scheduled to deliver the country’s national statement on Thursday. This is the third consecutive UNGA at which Shettima has represented Tinubu, after doing so in 2024 and 2025.
Responding to questions about the significance of Tinubu’s absence, Sule said the presence of other senior officials at the global gathering showed that countries could maintain diplomatic engagements even when their presidents were unavailable.
He said, “I don’t think I’m competent to speak about the absence of our own president, but I just want to make it categorically clear that Nigeria is not the only one.
“There are so many other countries that are being represented by the vice president and, in fact, some by even foreign ministers.
“It is the presence of the country that is there that is more important rather than the presence of the head of government.”
Sule also disclosed that Shettima had received several requests for bilateral meetings with foreign leaders and government officials.
“As at yesterday, we had over 30 requests from what I had, from heads of government, prime ministers, foreign ministers and then other kinds of ministers… that want to come and meet with the vice president,” he said.
The governor said these engagements showed Nigeria remained relevant at the global gathering despite Tinubu’s absence.
He added that the President would have “very good reason” not to attend and that those responsible for explaining the decision were better positioned to do so.
Sule also argued that Nigeria’s push for reform of the UN Security Council and a permanent African seat did not depend solely on the President’s physical presence at the General Assembly.
According to him, Nigeria could pursue the issue through the African Union, ECOWAS, bilateral meetings and other international engagements.
He said, “It is not just necessarily at the UN General Assembly address that it is going to be done, sealed and actually passed. There is still going to be a lot of side events, a lot of side meetings, sometimes not even here in New York, in so many other countries where such things will be taking place.”
Meanwhile, Shettima joined world leaders at the UN Headquarters on Tuesday as the high-level General Debate opened. He is expected to present Nigeria’s national statement on Thursday, outlining the country’s positions on international cooperation, development, peace and security, among other issues.
Sule, who is attending the UNGA as part of Nigeria’s delegation, said his focus at the gathering was also on securing opportunities for Nasarawa State, particularly in the critical minerals sector.
He said Nasarawa State’s lithium processing plant, recently commissioned by President Tinubu, was repeatedly highlighted during discussions on Africa’s critical minerals.
The governor said he expected the engagements to strengthen the state’s relationship with investors and partners in the solid minerals sector.
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