I should be commended for delivering my promise – Jimoh Ibrahim fires critics over Tinubu’s absence At UNGA

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, has defended his earlier claim that he secured Nigeria a prominent seating position at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), despite President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the gathering in New York.

Ibrahim had earlier said he secured a seat close to United States President Donald Trump for Tinubu at the General Assembly.

However, Tinubu did not attend the UNGA, with Vice President Kashim Shettima leading Nigeria’s delegation.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Ibrahim maintained that he fulfilled his promise by ensuring that Nigeria occupied a prominent position in the General Assembly chamber.

According to him, Nigeria was assigned the sixth position in the front row, which he described as a significant achievement for the country.

He also argued that Trump’s presence did not affect the arrangement because the US President left the chamber after delivering his speech.

“You have to thank me and commend my effort. I said Nigeria will be in the front seat, was Nigeria not in the front seat? You said Nigeria will sit with Donald Trump, did Donald Trump have any seat in the General Assembly? He didn’t sit for a second, he just came in to the podium, delivered a guest speech and left from there,” Ibrahim said.

He added that Trump would have been seated behind Nigeria had he remained in the chamber.

“In fact, he would have been sitting far behind Nigeria. So, what are you talking about? I delivered on the fact that Nigeria will sit in the front row, number six, did you commend me for that?” he asked.

Ibrahim also defended Tinubu’s decision not to travel to New York for the General Assembly.

He said he would not have advised the President to leave Nigeria to attend the gathering after it became apparent that more than 60 per cent of the scheduled speakers were being represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers.

According to him, Tinubu had no need to leave pressing national issues behind to deliver a speech of about 15 minutes when several world leaders had delegated senior officials to represent them.

The Nigerian envoy said Shettima adequately represented the country at the gathering and participated in the relevant official engagements on behalf of the President.

Ibrahim also noted that the absence of several world leaders, including the presidents of South Africa, China and Russia, showed that attendance by heads of state was not necessarily required for countries to participate effectively in the General Assembly.

His comments came amid debate over Tinubu’s decision to remain in Europe during the 81st UNGA, where Shettima represented Nigeria.

The controversy had also drawn attention to Ibrahim’s earlier claim that Nigeria had secured a prominent position close to Trump for Tinubu, with the President’s eventual absence prompting questions about the significance of the arrangement.

Ibrahim, however, maintained that Nigeria’s front-row placement demonstrated that his efforts had achieved the intended result.

Stay Connected

Follow Very Nigerian

Get the latest Nigerian news, trending stories and breaking updates directly on WhatsApp.

Join Our Channel →