What began as a brief, harmless moment during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Türkiye has stirred heated debate back home in Nigeria.
However, Turkish officials have reportedly dismissed the attention given to the incident as unnecessary and trivial, shifting focus back to the broader success of the visit.
Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed that officials in Ankara were surprised Nigerians were even discussing the issue. According to her, the reaction in Türkiye was the complete opposite of the online frenzy seen in Nigeria.
“Exactly. On ground here in Ankara, their officials were shocked to learn that it was an issue in Nigerian media/blogs,” Dabiri-Erewa wrote on X while responding to criticism about the media attention.
The incident occurred on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past held in President Tinubu’s honour.
As he stepped forward to join the guard of honour, the president briefly stumbled.
However, the event continued smoothly after security personnel quickly offered support.
Footage of the moment, first shared by Turkish digital outlet Nefes Gazetesi, later circulated on social media platforms, especially X. Nevertheless, the clip did not dominate Türkiye’s mainstream media space.
In addition, Dabiri-Erewa explained that Turkish officials viewed the controversy as misplaced.
“One of them described it as ‘silly and mischievous,’ and reiterated how their country was excited about the incredible success of the visit by @officialABAT, which is all over their media here,” she added.
Meanwhile, Nigerian commentator Oguntoye Opeyemi, known as Equityoyo, also questioned the intense reaction from Nigerian media outlets.
He noted that Turkish broadcasters ignored the incident completely.
“Not a single Turkish TV station reported the President’s accidental slip because it’s a non-issue. But Naija TV and national newspapers,” he wrote.
President Tinubu’s visit to Türkiye is his first official trip to the country. It is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, with discussions covering defence cooperation, trade, investment, energy, media partnerships, and scientific research.
Moreover, officials in Ankara reportedly welcomed the Nigerian delegation warmly, describing the visit as productive and forward-looking.
Therefore, the brief moment during the parade did little to distract from broader diplomatic goals.
