By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Cross Udo
The Presidency yesterday reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s celebrated fall during a military parade to mark Nigeria’s ‘Democracy Day’ in Abuja, saying the incident was not unique but an occurrence that happened to a leader who is ”just a human being like others”.
The Presidency’s statement came on the heels of the viral video of President Tinubu missing his step and appearing to fall during yesterday’s June 12 Day activities at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
But the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on his X handle (formerly Twitter) @aonanuga1956, said President Tinubu is not a superman.
The president had missed a step and fell while climbing the special parade vehicle for the inspection of guards during the June 12 anniversary ceremony at Eagle Square, Abuja.
He, however, quickly got up and continued with his assignment without any problem.
Meanwhile, the incident, which happened during a live telecast of the ceremony, quickly went viral, followed by different comments and observations.
Onanuga sought to douse tension and to reassure that the incident was not out of the ordinary.
The presidential aide posted, “President Tinubu is not a superman. He is human like all of us. President Biden has had several slips in the last three years.
“Even the younger Barack Obama slipped while president. Political leaders are human. Slipping should not detract from the import of Democracy Day celebration.”
*No issues, says Presidency
The Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, spoke in the same vein.
He posted that there were no issues with the president’s ‘misstep’, on his X handle.
Olusegun said, “Mr President missed his step while climbing into the truck at the June 12 Democracy Day celebration and tripped.
“It was a mild misstep. He immediately went on with the ceremonial rounds. No issues,” he posted.
He added, “After the slip, President Tinubu was fully able to preside over the scheduled military activities marking this year’s Democracy Day as planned.
“Following his welcome to the ceremony by fanfare and national salute, he mounted the special parade vehicle for the inspection of guards as the special guests of honour.
“The president witnessed the combined march-past in slow and quick times by the armed forces, before the Guards’ Brigade silent drill display.
“Along with other guests, he was also entertained by the mass band and cultural troupe displays before unveiling a portrait of himself described as the world’s largest painting portrait on canvas.
“He, thereafter, presided over advances of the armed forces personnel in the review order, before signing the Democracy Day register.”
Other media reports also confirmed that the president, despite the slip, quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings.
According to a citation, the ceremony at Eagles Square was a flagship event in a roster of festivities held across the nation to commemorate the country’s annual Democracy Day celebration.
*Atiku, Obi, others wish him well
In the basket of numerous reactions that trailed the incident, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, yesterday commented on President Bola Tinubu’s slip-on at an important event as the ‘Democracy Day’.
In a series of tweets, Obi said the incident proved our ”shared humanity, and should not distract us from Nigeria’s issues.”
He wrote, “I was saddened to learn of President Tinubu’s unfortunate fall today. I wish him well. We achieve nothing by gloating about an accident that could well happen to any of us.
“We are all human beings, and while we profoundly disagree on how to move Nigeria forward, we must remember our common human frailty. Let us stay focused on the issues that will lead to a new Nigeria,” the LP leader stated.
He added, “May this moment serve as a poignant reminder of our shared humanity and the need for compassion, empathy, and unity in our pursuit of a brighter future for our great nation.”
Also reacting, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, revealed the moment Tinubu slipped while boarding the presidential parade vehicle at Eagles Square in Abuja.
He wrote, “I sincerely sympathise with President Bola Tinubu, #officialABAT, over this unfortunate incident as he was set to review the parade on Democracy Day.
Nigerians of all shades and persuasions also took to social media to react to the video.
While some netizens mocked the president over the incident, others downplayed it because the president went on with the ceremonial rounds.
In the meantime, a former aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Daniel Bwala, has criticised the supporters of ex-LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, known as Obidients, for their reactions to President Tinubu’s fall during the Democracy Day celebration earlier yesterday.
Bwala used his X (formerly Twitter) handle to accuse the Obidients of making an issue out of the president’s fall.
According to him, the mockery was politically motivated.
Bwala darted fingers at Obi’s supporters for what he perceived as ”unnecessary and disrespectful behaviour.”
He also posted a video of Obi staggering at an event and wrote;
“Whenever I see these barbaric miscreants making an issue out of a non-issue, I shudder. You want to make an issue out of simple missteps, owing to the @officialABAT president’s shoes stuck in his Babariga.
“Take a look at @PeterObi Pitobi here in the video below falling and had to be assisted, did anybody make an issue out of this?
“By God’s grace, it won’t be long when unsuspecting members of the public’s eyes would be open to realise that these guys are IPoB, and their sympathisers masquerading as Obidients.”
*List of world leaders who fell at public events
The gale of reactions precipitated on social media which had been sent into a frenzy after the near-fall by the Nigerian president.
An online news platform, Naija News, listed other world leaders aside from Tinubu, who had had a momentary fall during a public ceremony.
These include US President, Joe Biden, who in March 2021 tripped on Air Force One stairs while scaling the steps to the number 1 jet in the presidential fleet to Atlanta to meet with Asian-American community leaders on a massacre.
There was also the case of former Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe, who in February 2015, fell down a staircase as a 90-year-old, as he walked off a podium after addressing his supporters at the Harare International Airport.
Another former United States president, Gerald Ford, suffered the same fate when he slipped on Air Force One in 1975 while visiting Vienna, Austria, for talks with the then-Egyptian President, the late Anwar Sadat.
It was the turn of former Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in October 2004, to fall off the stage in Santa Clara, Cuba. Castro broke his knee and arm in the fall.
Another US president, Barack Obama: In March 2015, reportedly also came close to falling down the steps of Air Force One while returning to Washington DC from a golfing trip in Florida when he bounded from the plane door only to lose his footing.
He recovered and continued across the tarmac with the same spring in his step.
US former Vice President joined the list in June 2020 when he had a moment remarkably similar to President Biden’s ‘upward slip’.
Reports say Pence was filmed running, then tripping, up the staircase of Air Force Two.
In October 2023, a United States of America senator, Tommy Tuberville, who had previously criticised President Biden for falling in public view, was mocked online after a video showing him falling down a flight of plane stairs himself went viral.
Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton, in 2011, was boarding a plane to Yemen when she slipped to her knees at the doorway and was only saved from further embarrassment when an aide gave her a helping hand.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, recorded his name on the list. The Russian leader, who was irreverently referred to as ‘loving to display his aura’, saw himself on the floor during a 2019 hockey game he played in.
“He was doing a victory lap around Sochi’s Bolshoy Ice Dome and applauding fans when he slammed on the floor,” a report said.
Boris Johnson, as a former United Kingdom (UK) prime minister, suffered the same fate, falling to what was described as ‘an epic fall’ after he tripped and landed on the floor during a charity tug-of-war game at a World War I commemoration event with Britain’s armed forces in 2015.
