The All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party, has explained that President Bola Tinubu and the US President, Joe Biden, did not meet on the sideline of the UN General Assembly because they had earlier met at the G-20 Nations summit in India.
The presidency had before Tinubu’s trip to the US, announced that Biden had chosen Tinubu to be the only African leader he would meet on the sidelines of UNGA.
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Briefing journalists on 15 September ahead of the UNGA, presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said Mr Tinubu would be meeting with Mr Biden on the sidelines of the event in New York.
Mr Ngelale also said the Nigerian leader would hold talks with his Brazilian counterpart, Lula Silva.
Biden and Tinubu failed to meet, which led to a bit of controversy on social media.
However, Felix Morka, the spokesperson of the party, in a statement said there was no basis for interaction between the two leaders, having met at another world engagement, the G-20 Nations summit in India, before gathering world leaders in New York.
Morka further argued that the Tinubu administration has no reason to peddle falsehood or propaganda.
He noted, “President Tinubu is committed to ensuring an inclusive, honest, transparent and accountable governance system.
“The matter of the proposed meeting with United States of America President Joe Biden does not even require elaboration.
“Having met with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the G-20 Nations summit in India, another meeting with President Biden during the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) had become unnecessary and was not even on President Tinubu’s schedule, contrary to preliminary indications on the matter.
“As the discerning people that we are, we remain confident that Nigerians will continue to differentiate between genuine, constructive and development-oriented criticisms and those driven by self-interest, mercenary considerations and disruptive political agenda.”
