Amid growing attention over President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, former Senate President Pius Anyim has dismissed concerns surrounding the decision.
Anyim said there was nothing unusual about Vice President Kashim Shettima representing Nigeria at the global gathering, arguing that the arrangement falls within the Vice President’s responsibilities.
The former Senate president made the comments while appearing on ARISE NEWS’ Prime Time on Monday.
Tinubu had initially been expected to return to Nigeria after a short working vacation abroad. However, the Presidency later announced that he would extend his stay for a private visit and other engagements.
Shettima subsequently travelled to the United States to represent Nigeria at the UN General Assembly.
Anyim, who is also an APC chieftain and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the President’s physical presence at the annual event was not compulsory.
He explained that the UNGA programme consists of the General Assembly itself as well as numerous meetings held on the sidelines.
According to him, those engagements can include bilateral discussions between countries and multilateral meetings involving several nations.
Anyim noted that the national address delivered during the General Debate is essentially a statement on behalf of a country, meaning the Vice President is capable of delivering it.
He said questions about Tinubu’s absence would only carry greater significance if the President had a specific engagement that required him to attend personally.
The former Senate president also rejected suggestions that staying away from New York could prevent Tinubu from meeting US President Donald Trump.
Anyim argued that meetings involving heads of government are normally arranged according to established schedules and are not dependent simply on whether a leader attends the UNGA.
He said being in the same location as the US president does not automatically result in a meeting.
Anyim further pointed out that several other heads of state have also chosen not to attend the annual gathering in person.
He maintained that the Vice President’s representation does not prevent Nigeria from participating in the General Assembly and its associated diplomatic engagements.
Shettima is currently leading Nigeria’s delegation as world leaders and senior officials gather in New York for discussions on international cooperation and major global issues.
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