Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign council has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is avoiding the United States over fears that he could be arrested by US President Donald Trump.
He made the allegation while reacting to Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York during an appearance on Arise News’ Prime Time programme.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is representing Nigeria at the gathering and delivered the country’s national statement on behalf of the President.
Okonkwo questioned Mr Tinubu’s continued absence from the annual UN meeting, alleging that the President was deliberately staying away from the United States amid renewed attention to historical drug-related allegations and US legal records involving him.
“Tinubu is hiding. He is running away from being arrested by Trump,” Mr Okonkwo alleged.
He said Mr Tinubu’s absence from the UN General Assembly for three consecutive years was difficult to explain, noting that the President attended the 2023 session but was represented by Mr Shettima in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
“What is he doing? He has not been to the United Nations for three consecutive years. A reasonable man should say that he is hiding from the United States of America,” Mr Okonkwo said.
Okonkwo also recalled comments attributed to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, that Mr Tinubu would attend the UNGA and sit in the front row with Mr Trump.
“Remember, the ambassador to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, had told us gleefully that the president was going to come and sit in the front row with President Trump to represent us. What happened? Lies. The President did not go,” he said.
He further linked Mr Tinubu’s absence to renewed discussions surrounding historical US records concerning the President, including a 1993 civil forfeiture matter involving about $460,000.
“Now, how come there is a paper filed by your president that he does not want his file to be released in the United States of America? That is allegedly for his involvement in alleged drug dealing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has rejected suggestions that Mr Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA is connected to any fear of arrest or legal restrictions in the United States.
It said Tinubu was on annual leave and had mandated Mr Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA, describing the Vice President’s participation as full representation of the country.
The Presidency has also maintained that the US records matter is a civil records-disclosure dispute and not a criminal case against Mr Tinubu.
