Dabiri-Erewa made the comments on January 28 while responding to social media queries about why the incident dominated discussions in Nigeria.
“Officials here in Ankara were shocked to learn that this was being widely discussed in Nigerian media and blogs,” she said.
She added that Turkish officials largely dismissed the debate, with one describing the attention as “silly and mischievous,” while emphasizing that Tinubu’s visit was considered a major success in Türkiye.
“One official called the focus ‘silly and mischievous’ and highlighted the excitement in the country about the success of the president’s visit, which is being covered extensively in local media,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
Observers noted that the incident received no coverage in Türkiye’s mainstream media, with no Turkish television station reporting on the president’s slip.
The stumble occurred on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past in Tinubu’s honor, as he stepped forward to join the guard of honour. The incident did not interrupt the proceedings, and the president was quickly supported by security personnel.
Footage of the moment, initially shared online by a Turkish outlet, shows Tinubu walking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before briefly losing his balance.
Tinubu’s visit marks his first official trip to Türkiye, with objectives including strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in defence, trade, investment, energy, media, and scientific research.
She added that Turkish officials largely dismissed the debate, with one describing the attention as “silly and mischievous,” while emphasizing that Tinubu’s visit was considered a major success in Türkiye.
“One official called the focus ‘silly and mischievous’ and highlighted the excitement in the country about the success of the president’s visit, which is being covered extensively in local media,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
Observers noted that the incident received no coverage in Türkiye’s mainstream media, with no Turkish television station reporting on the president’s slip.
The stumble occurred on Tuesday during a ceremonial march-past in Tinubu’s honor, as he stepped forward to join the guard of honour. The incident did not interrupt the proceedings, and the president was quickly supported by security personnel.
Footage of the moment, initially shared online by a Turkish outlet, shows Tinubu walking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before briefly losing his balance.
Tinubu’s visit marks his first official trip to Türkiye, with objectives including strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in defence, trade, investment, energy, media, and scientific research.
