The Presidency has allayed fears over the health of President Bola Tinubu, who is on a state visit to Türkiye.

Addressing the incident in Ankara, where the President stumbled twice during a welcome reception, the Presidency told Arise TV that the mishap was caused by a poorly laid blue carpet.

Reacting on his X handle, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said Tinubu has since resumed his official assignments and is currently in a bilateral meeting with Turkish authorities, after which a press conference will be held.

“Mr President missed his step very briefly and has continued his bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A live press conference is happening immediately after the bilateral,” he wrote.

PUNCH Online reported that the incident occurred as the President joined the guard of honour, drawing momentary attention before the programme continued without disruption.

A video posted on X by Turkish digital news platform Nefes Gazetesi shows Tinubu walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Erdoğan, before he stumbled to the ground.

He was quickly assisted by the Secret Service.

No official comments on the President’s health have been issued beyond the initial statement.

It is Tinubu’s first official visit to the European nation, a reciprocal engagement following Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu’s visit aims to consolidate the long-standing cordial relations between Nigeria and Türkiye, while exploring new areas of cooperation to deepen a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Sunday that both countries will engage in strategic political and diplomatic discussions on shared values in finance, communication, trade, and investment during the visit.

Onanuga added that the agenda will include meetings between high-ranking officials of both nations and the signing of memoranda of understanding in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military cooperation, and protocol, among others.

A business forum Is expected to be held on the sidelines of the visit to connect Nigerian and Turkish investors and unlock opportunities for mutual economic growth. (The PUNCH, excluding headline)

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