The presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s stumble during a ceremonial welcome reception in Ankara, Turkey, was caused by a poorly laid carpet.
The incident occurred on Tuesday while President Tinubu participated in a march-past alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the presidential complex.
A video circulating online shows Tinubu briefly losing his footing while walking beside Erdoğan, leading to a stumble.
The president was quickly assisted by security personnel and continued with the event without further disruption.
The presidency has however attributed the mishap directly to the blue carpet, which was poorly laid at the venue.
Dada Olusegun, the president’s special assistant on social media, provided reassurance, stating that the stumble did not interrupt the state visit’s schedule.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”
The incident, which briefly captured public attention, did not derail the ongoing diplomatic activities during Tinubu’s visit to Turkey.