The Presidency has dismissed health concerns following a brief stumble by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during an official reception ceremony in Ankara, Türkiye, describing the incident as minor and of no medical consequence.
The moment, which was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, occurred during a ceremonial welcome organised by Turkish authorities as part of the President’s ongoing state visit. The footage shows President Tinubu momentarily losing his footing while walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, before quickly regaining his balance and continuing with the ceremony.
According to officials, the President missed a step on a poorly laid blue carpet, briefly staggered and fell, but was immediately assisted by aides and proceeded with the parade without disruption.
Providing clarification via his verified X handle on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said President Tinubu continued with his engagements as scheduled.
“Mr President missed his step very briefly and has continued his bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A live press conference is happening immediately after the bilateral,” he wrote.
Similarly, the Special Adviser on Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the President was in good shape and fully engaged in official activities.
“President Tinubu, after a stately welcome ceremony in Ankara, proceeded to scheduled bilateral meetings with the President of Türkiye and other senior government officials from both countries,” Dare said.
Presidential aides confirmed that no injury was recorded and that the President participated fully in the remainder of the day’s programme. They stressed that there was no cause for alarm, describing the incident as purely accidental and unrelated to the President’s health.
In a statement attributed to the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the President recovered immediately and continued with his duties.
“The President merely tripped on a poorly laid carpet. He recovered instantly and went on with the event. There is absolutely no health issue and no cause for concern,” the statement said.
Officials added that neither Turkish authorities nor members of the diplomatic corps present at the ceremony expressed concern or made any public comment regarding the incident.
The Presidency confirmed that President Tinubu has continued to discharge his duties in Türkiye in line with the official itinerary and urged the public to disregard unfounded speculation and exaggerated interpretations of the brief episode.
President Tinubu is in Türkiye as part of Nigeria’s ongoing diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in trade, investment, defence cooperation and infrastructure development.
Since assuming office in May 2023, he has undertaken several foreign visits focused on attracting investment, expanding economic partnerships and reinforcing Nigeria’s global diplomatic presence.
If you want, I can also craft a clean, reassuring news headline or shorten this into a brief official update for online platforms.
