BREAKING NEWS: Reason President Tinubu falls during welcome ceremony in Turkey

President Bola Tinubu stumbled and fell yesterday while inspecting a reception parade in Ankara, Turkey.

The incident occurred as he walked alongside his Turkish counterpart, Recep Erdogan, during the ceremonial welcome organised by Turkish authorities as part of his official visit to the country.

In a viral video, the Nigerian president walks past a line of soldiers and dignitaries and moves to his right when momentarily he lost balance. The film briefly shows people helping the president up.

Tinubu, wearing a long grey coat, was later seen standing next to Erdogan, who holds his (Tinubu’s) wrist.

Presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, said later in a statement that Tinubu stepped on a metal object which resulted in loss of balance.

“The President stepped on a metal on the floor, which made him lose his balance. This is not a big deal, except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall,” he added.

The BBC reported that there was no interruption to the programme, and Tinubu proceeded with the rest of the official activities scheduled for the visit.

The president is in Turkey as part of Nigeria’s ongoing diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, defence cooperation and infrastructure development.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Tinubu, Erdogan said both countries had reaffirmed a target of increasing total bilateral trade to $5 billion (£3.6 billion).

The two countries also exchanged agreements on defence cooperation. Turkey pledged support for Nigeria’s fight against militants, as well as deeper collaboration in military training and intelligence sharing.

“Nigeria remains open for serious partnership. Open to trade without barriers. Open to ideas, skills, and investment that create value and shared prosperity,” Tinubu said in a post on his X.