Obi Questions Tinubu’s Absence From 81st UNGA
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, asking: “Where is Nigeria’s President?”
Obi raised the question in a statement on Sunday, September 27, 2026, while reacting to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s participation and address at the global gathering.
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened on September 8, 2026, with the high-level general debate scheduled for September 22 to 26, with an additional sitting on September 28.
Commenting on Mahama’s address, Obi described it as remarkable and said it demonstrated what leadership could produce when “competence, capacity, compassion, commitment and character” are brought together in the service of a nation.
He subsequently drew attention to Nigeria’s presidential-level absence from the gathering, noting that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country, has an important role to play on the international stage.
“Where is the President of Africa’s most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people—more than Ghana—whose leader has been absent from the global stage for three consecutive UNGAs?” Obi asked.
The NDC presidential candidate further questioned the absence against the backdrop of what he described as significant challenges confronting Nigeria both domestically and internationally.
Although Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the UN gathering, Obi maintained that questions remained about the President’s absence.
“Where is the President?” he asked, while calling on Nigerians to continue praying for the President’s return and for his leadership in addressing the challenges confronting the country.
Obi concluded his statement with his familiar political message: “A new Nigeria is POssible.”
The development has generated public discussion about Nigeria’s representation at high-level international engagements, particularly during the UN General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders. Nigerian and international media have also reported on Obi’s comments and his comparison of Nigeria’s presidential absence with Mahama’s participation.
