Turkish Officials Brushed Off the Controversy over Tinubu’s Stumble as “Silly,” According to Abike Dabiri.

The controversy that arose in Nigeria over President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during his official visit to Türkiye has been described as “silly” by Turkish officials, according to the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Dabiri-Erewa made this known on Wednesday while responding to a post on X by a user, Oguntoye Opeyemi (Equityoyo), who commented on the reactions of Nigerian media to the incident.

She said officials in Ankara were surprised that the moment had become an issue back home. “Exactly. On ground here in Ankara, their officials were shocked to learn that it was an issue in Nigerian media/blogs,” she wrote.

According to Dabiri-Erewa, a Turkish official described the attention given to the incident as “silly and mischievous,” noting that the visit itself was being widely celebrated in Türkiye. She added that Turkish media focused on what they considered the success of President Tinubu’s visit, rather than the brief stumble.

Opeyemi also observed that the incident did not feature in Türkiye’s mainstream media, stating that no Turkish television station reported it, as it was viewed as a non-issue.

President Tinubu briefly stumbled on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past organised in his honour at the parade ground in Ankara. The incident occurred as he joined the guard of honour and lasted only a moment before proceedings continued without interruption.

A short video of the incident, shared by a Turkish digital news platform and later circulated on X, showed the President walking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before momentarily losing his balance. He was promptly assisted by security personnel.

Despite the video attracting attention in Nigeria, the Presidency has played down the incident. The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu remained “hale and hearty” and went on with his scheduled engagements, including bilateral meetings with the Turkish President and other senior officials.

Similarly, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the episode as minor, explaining that the President briefly lost his balance after stepping on a metal object on the floor. He stressed that it was a simple stumble and not a fall, accusing critics of trying to sensationalise a fleeting moment.

The reception ceremony, which began around 5:00 pm local time, featured the rendition of both national anthems and a 21-gun salute. Afterward, Presidents Tinubu and Erdoğan held a closed-door bilateral meeting to discuss strategic issues between Nigeria and Türkiye.

The visit, Tinubu’s first official trip to Türkiye, is focused on strengthening diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation in areas such as defence, trade, investment, energy, media, and scientific research. A business forum was also planned alongside the visit to link Nigerian and Turkish investors.

Top Nigerian officials present at the event included the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.).

The Presidency has urged Nigerians to ignore attempts to exaggerate the incident, insisting that the President remains fully engaged in his official responsibilities.