VIDEO: Tinubu briefly stumbles during reception in Türkiye

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday briefly stumbled during a ceremonial reception held in his honour at a parade ground in Türkiye.

The incident occurred as the President walked alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during the guard of honour. He was quickly assisted by security personnel, and the programme continued without disruption.

A video shared on X by Turkish digital news platform Nefes Gazetesi captured the moment the President lost his footing and fell.

The reception commenced at about 5:00 pm local time with the rendition of the national anthems of Nigeria and Türkiye, followed by a ceremonial 21-gun salute.

After the formalities, both leaders proceeded to a closed-door bilateral meeting to discuss issues of strategic importance between the two countries.

The visit marks President Tinubu’s first official trip to Türkiye and follows President Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the visit is aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and expanding cooperation in key areas including trade, investment, finance, communication, and defence.

Several memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed in sectors such as energy, scientific research, technical cooperation, media, military collaboration, and protocol. A Nigeria–Türkiye business forum is also scheduled to hold on the sidelines of the visit to promote economic partnership between both nations.

Senior Nigerian officials who received the President include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd).