ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Senate President Pius Anyim defended President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday, September 21, 2026, stating that the Nigerian public is aware the president is currently on leave.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on ARISE NEWS’ Prime Time, Okay News reports that Pius Anyim stated there is nothing unusual about Bola Tinubu delegating the duty of representing Nigeria to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The Presidency previously described Bola Tinubu‘s time away from the country as a short working vacation, leaving Kashim Shettima to lead the Nigerian delegation at the UNGA.
Pius Anyim, who also served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dismissed public concerns regarding the president’s absence and noted that the vice president possesses the constitutional authority to represent the country.
“I really don’t understand why his absence should be an issue. I think Nigerians know very well that the President is on short leave, a short vacation,” Pius Anyim said. “He simply assigned his Vice President to undertake the assignment. I don’t know why we are making so much out of this. There is nothing that compares to the President being at UNGA. The Vice President can represent the country, even the Foreign Minister.”
Pius Anyim explained that the global gathering consists of both the main assembly and various side engagements, adding that the president’s absence would only carry weight if prior personal meetings had been scheduled.
“The structure of UNGA involves the General Assembly and side meetings. Side meetings could be bilateral or multilateral. What you present in that General Assembly statement is simply reading a statement from your country. This is something that the Vice President can do,” Pius Anyim said.
Addressing questions regarding a potential interaction with United States President Donald Trump, Pius Anyim stated that such official meetings are arranged in advance and noted that other world leaders also chose not to attend the event.
“It’s not about meeting the President by chance. The fact that you sit together with the President doesn’t mean anything. The President of America normally would have a schedule set ahead of time,” Pius Anyim said. “It doesn’t matter. After all, there are many heads of state who don’t go.”
