African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision not to personally attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, alleging that concerns surrounding his travel to the United States influenced the decision.
Okonkwo made the claim during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, while responding to comments from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga about Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA.
The allegation comes as Vice President Kashim Shettima leads Nigeria’s delegation to the annual gathering of world leaders, which began its high-level general debate on September 22. The Presidency has rejected suggestions that Tinubu’s absence is connected to restrictions on his movement in the United States, saying the President deliberately delegated the responsibility to Shettima.
Okonkwo argued that Tinubu should have attended the meeting personally and said the President’s absence for the third consecutive year has generated questions about his reasons for not travelling to New York.
Tinubu did not travel to New York for the 2026 UN General Assembly. Instead, he appointed Vice President Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation and deliver the country’s national statement.
The Federal Government said the delegation includes senior government officials and that Nigeria remains fully represented at the high-level session.
The Presidency’s explanation also places Tinubu’s absence within a broader working vacation. According to a September 21 State House statement, the President left Nigeria on August 30 for a working vacation, first travelling to London before moving to Paris for official engagements.
The statement said Tinubu continued to direct government affairs while abroad and had extended his stay by several days, with his return expected during the weekend.
Key points surrounding the 2026 UNGA delegation include:
- President Bola Tinubu: Did not attend the 81st UNGA in person.
- Vice President Kashim Shettima: Leads Nigeria’s delegation.
- Nigeria’s national statement: To be delivered by Shettima.
- UNGA general debate: Scheduled from September 22 to 26 and September 28, 2026.
- Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York.
The Presidency has pushed back against claims that Tinubu stayed away because of concerns about travelling to the United States.
In explaining the decision, the government said Nigeria’s representation at the UNGA remained intact because Shettima had been mandated to perform the President’s responsibilities at the gathering.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Osodi, also said Tinubu’s absence would not diminish Nigeria’s diplomatic role or participation in African affairs.
The disagreement therefore centres on the interpretation of the President’s absence rather than whether Nigeria is represented at the UN meeting.
During his interview, Okonkwo went further by connecting Tinubu’s absence from New York with renewed attention to historical U.S. records involving the President.
He referred to the 1993 forfeiture of $460,000 connected to a bank account in Tinubu’s name and to a current U.S. Freedom of Information Act dispute over records relating to past investigations.
However, the legal character of the historical matter requires careful distinction.
U.S. court records show that the 1993 proceeding was a civil forfeiture case involving funds. The court ultimately ordered $460,000 forfeited to the United States. The proceeding itself was not a criminal trial resulting in a conviction against Tinubu.
The current U.S. litigation is also a records-disclosure dispute. According to reporting on the case, individuals seeking government records have challenged decisions by U.S. agencies to withhold or redact materials connected to earlier investigations.
Okonkwo also referenced U.S. President Donald Trump and recent American actions involving allegations of narcotics trafficking. He argued that developments in the United States created a reason to question Tinubu’s decision not to attend the UNGA.
Those assertions represent Okonkwo’s interpretation of events. Neither the State House statement explaining Tinubu’s working vacation nor the Federal Government’s announcement on the UNGA delegation establishes a connection between the President’s absence and a fear of arrest in the United States.
The distinction is important because the existence of a historical forfeiture proceeding or an ongoing records dispute does not, by itself, establish that Tinubu faces arrest or criminal proceedings in the United States.
The controversy comes at a time when political parties and campaign groups are already positioning themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Okonkwo is a spokesperson for the ADC presidential campaign and has publicly criticised aspects of the Tinubu administration. His latest comments therefore form part of an ongoing political dispute over the President’s record, international engagements and government decisions.
At the same time, the official record confirms that Nigeria has maintained high-level representation at the 81st UNGA through the Vice President.
The United Nations describes the General Assembly’s high-level week as a period when heads of state, governments and other senior representatives address global challenges. The 81st session is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
Tinubu’s absence is unlikely to end the debate over his international engagements, particularly as political actors continue to scrutinise the administration ahead of 2027.
For now, however, the established facts are straightforward: Tinubu did not personally attend the 2026 UNGA; Shettima is representing Nigeria; and the Presidency says the President’s absence is not linked to any restriction on his travel to the United States. Okonkwo’s suggestion that the absence is connected to potential U.S. legal consequences remains an allegation that has not been established by the official record cited above.
The debate is therefore likely to continue around the political interpretation of the President’s decision, while Nigeria’s delegation proceeds with its scheduled participation in the UNGA high-level week.
