Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, linking the absence to concerns surrounding Nigeria’s relationship with the United States.
Okonkwo made the comments while speaking on Arise TV, where he criticised the President for not attending the high-level UN gathering in person.
He argued that Tinubu should have been physically present at the annual meeting of world leaders and suggested that the President’s absence raised questions about his reasons for staying away from the United States.
According to Okonkwo, Tinubu has not attended the UN General Assembly in person since becoming president.
“He ought to be at the UNGA in person; he hasn’t been there for three consecutive years. A reasonable man should say he is hiding from the United States of America,” Okonkwo said.
His comments came as Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu at the UNGA in New York.
Shettima leads Nigerian delegation
Tinubu mandated Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UN General Assembly, which is taking place in New York from September 22 to 28, 2026.
Shettima is scheduled to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in several high-level meetings and bilateral engagements during the General Assembly week.
The Nigerian delegation includes senior government officials, governors and ministers, among them Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim.
The Federal Government has defended the arrangement, saying Nigeria remains fully represented at the international gathering.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris said Tinubu had given Shettima the mandate to represent him and lead the Nigerian delegation.
According to the Federal Government, Shettima will participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements with world leaders, international organisations and development partners.
The government has also said Nigeria’s relationship with the United States is conducted through established diplomatic and governmental channels.
Okonkwo raises ‘Venezuela option’
While criticising Tinubu’s absence, Okonkwo referred to what he described as the “Venezuela option”.
He suggested that the President’s decision to stay away from the United States was connected to concerns about possible developments involving the US.
Okonkwo did not provide evidence establishing a connection between Tinubu’s UNGA absence and the claim.
His comments therefore represent his political interpretation of the President’s decision rather than an established explanation for Tinubu’s absence.
The controversy comes amid wider public discussion over Tinubu’s decision to have the Vice President represent him at this year’s General Assembly.
The Federal Government has maintained that the arrangement does not diminish Nigeria’s representation at the UN.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, also said the country would retain its designated position at the General Assembly with Shettima representing the President. He noted that several countries were represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers at the gathering.
Tinubu’s absence draws political debate
Tinubu’s absence has generated criticism from opposition figures, particularly as the 2027 general election approaches.
Okonkwo is currently associated with Atiku’s presidential campaign and has been active in criticising the Tinubu administration.
His latest comments therefore come within an ongoing political debate over the President’s foreign engagements and Nigeria’s relationship with the United States.
The Presidency, however, has said Tinubu is currently on annual leave and that the decision to send Shettima to New York was an official delegation arrangement. Channels Television reported that the Federal Government described the move as neither unusual nor a reduction in Nigeria’s diplomatic standing.
The government has also highlighted the activities assigned to Shettima during the UNGA.
According to the Federal Ministry of Information, the Vice President is expected to present Nigeria’s position on issues including peace and security, sustainable development, economic growth and international cooperation.
He is also expected to advance Nigeria’s position on reforms to the global financial system, climate finance and stronger representation for developing countries in international decision-making.
Okonkwo defends Atiku over US-linked transaction
Okonkwo also addressed a separate controversy involving a financial transaction connected to a former United States investigation.
The campaign spokesperson defended Atiku against allegations surrounding a $1.7 million transfer made to the former vice president’s wife in 2002.
According to Okonkwo, the money was transferred for his wife’s upkeep and was not connected to criminal activity.
“The money transferred was for the upkeep of his wife. Atiku was not invited because he was not a party to the contract,” he said.
Okonkwo also argued that the tribunal did not establish criminality against Atiku in relation to the matter.
He maintained that the timing of the transaction and the signing of the contract should not be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing.
His comments were made while responding to questions about the wider allegations involving the former vice president and the financial transaction.
Debate continues over UN representation
The controversy over Tinubu’s absence is likely to remain part of the political debate as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 election cycle.
For the Federal Government, the presence of the Vice President and the high-level delegation means Nigeria remains represented at the UNGA.
For opposition figures such as Okonkwo, however, the President’s personal absence raises questions that they believe require further explanation.
Shettima has continued Nigeria’s participation in the General Assembly, with the Vice President scheduled to deliver the country’s national statement and hold meetings with international leaders and organisations.
The competing positions mean that the central issue remains political interpretation: the government has presented the delegation as an authorised representation of Nigeria, while Okonkwo has questioned the President’s decision not to attend personally.
No evidence presented in the reports establishes that Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA is connected to the allegations raised by Okonkwo.
