UN General Assembly: ‘Why Tinubu’s presence is irrelevant’ – Joe Keshi
Former Diplomat Questions Relevance of President Tinubu’s Attendance at UNGA
A former Nigerian diplomat, Joe Keshi, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s attendance at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) holds little significance as long as Nigeria is adequately represented.
During an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show Tuesday, Keshi emphasized that the leadership of the Nigerian delegation by the Vice President is sufficient for the country’s representation at the international forum.
Keshi criticized the ongoing discussions surrounding Tinubu’s potential attendance at the 80th session of the UNGA, suggesting they distract from pressing global issues.
“It amazes me we’re engaged in some innocuous debate about whether the president attends or does not attend, or whether he has lost the opportunity to sit beside Donald Trump,” he said. “In the process, we’ve left the most important issues.”
The former diplomat argued that the effectiveness of Nigeria’s participation should be evaluated based on the quality of its representation and the pertinent issues presented. He reiterated that the priority lies in Nigeria’s presence at the assembly, regardless of who is leading the delegation.
Keshi recalled instances when previous Nigerian leaders did not attend the UNGA without significant repercussions. “There are times in this country that the president of Nigeria or the leaders of Nigeria did not attend UNGA, and the heavens didn’t fall,” he stated.
He questioned the outcomes of past attendance by former President Muhammadu Buhari, asking, “What came out of Buhari’s attendance at the end of the day?”
Keshi concluded that as long as Nigeria is represented at the UNGA, the specifics of who attends are “irrelevant.” He affirmed that having the Vice President lead the Nigerian delegation should be the primary focus.
