Tinubu Not First President To Stumble – Onoh

The former Southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of Enugu Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has pointed out there is nothing strange about the President’s stumble while on official engagement in Turkey on Tuesday.

Onoh accused the opposition politicians of engaging in a baseless propaganda, seeking to exploit a minor incident during President Tinubu’s state visit to Turkey.

Tinubu stumbled while in an official welcome ceremony in Ankara-Turkey, bringing about a media frenzy in Nigeria.

But Onoh described the brief stumble as an entirely human occurrence that in no way reflects on his vigour, focus, or the significance of the visit.

He emphasised that such incidents are inherent risks of high office where leaders constantly navigate unfamiliar venues, ceremonial protocols, and gruelling schedules under intense public scrutiny.

Onoh noted that history is full of similar momentary slips by world leaders, including President Gerald Ford of United States of America who famously tumbled down the steps of Air Force One in Austria in 1975.

He also recalled that President Joe Biden of USA also tripped multiple times on the stairs of Air Force One in 2021 while President Barack Obama also briefly stumbled while disembarking Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base on March 29, 2015, after returning from a golf trip in Florida.

Other world leaders he cited to have slipped while in official engagement included the Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was involved in a widely noted slip in 2019; same as the Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro who fell off a stage in 2004 and former U.S. Vice President, Mike Pence, who had a similar stumble while boarding Air Force Two.

These examples, Onoh said, serve as reminders that even the most accomplished leaders are human and prone to occasional missteps.

Addressing the cause of the incident, Onoh referenced explanations from the President’s team that it stemmed from a poorly laid blue carpet at the ceremony venue, creating an uneven surface and causing a brief loss of footing.

“It is not any health-related issue. President Tinubu quickly regained his composure, received assistance, and continued seamlessly with his program,” Onoh said.

Onoh stressed that the minor mishap did not hinder the visit’s core objectives: strengthening bilateral ties between Nigeria and Turkey, boosting trade, investment, defense cooperation, and infrastructure opportunities that directly benefit Nigeria and its people.

The President proceeded with scheduled bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other senior officials, demonstrating unwavering commitment and resilience.

“In the service of Nigeria,” Onoh concluded, “any small personal discomfort a leader endures—whether a stumble or greater sacrifice—is worthwhile if it advances the greater good of our country and its citizens. True leaders embrace such moments as part of their noble duty to place national interest above all else.”

He urged the opposition and all political actors to channel their energies constructively: rather than fixating on fleeting incidents or amplifying them for partisan gain.

He asked them to offer substantive alternatives, propose viable solutions to national challenges, and contribute meaningfully to progress—instead of opposing everything while proposing nothing.

Onoh reaffirmed that President Tinubu remains in great shape and fully dedicated to delivering for Nigerians, calling on all to rally around the bigger picture of shared prosperity and unity.