There have been reactions to the fall of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he was trying to climb a vehicle to go round the Eagle Square during the parade organised by the military to mark June 12 Democracy Day on Wednesday morning in Abuja.
In the viral video, the President missed his step and tripped as he was about to climb the open roof vehicle, but his security aides quickly came to his aid. But unruffled, Tinubu overcame the minor accident and eventually took a ride and went on with is ceremonial activities as planned. Thanked God.
There is no big deal about the incident. Many leaders across the world have found themselves in similar situations in the past.
Not Just President Tinubu, anyone alive can trip and fall; it happened to President Biden, Trump, Robert Mugabe, Boris Johnson, Xi Jinping and Fidel Castro. Presidents are human beings. They fall, got up and moved on.
But truth be told, President Tinubu’s albatross is his flowing Agbada. I don’t know who is sewing his Agbadas. The tailor that is sewing the President clothes is not helping matters. The President Agbadas is always oversized and overflowing making him to easily stuck his shoes and stumbled. This is very embarrassing.
The President handlers should know that you don’t joke with oversized Agbada no matter how strong you are. One can easily step on and trip. That’s the biggest albatross for the President preventing him from taking his right steps at a time with his overflowing Agbadas.
This is not the first time. It happens in 2023. Tinubu had slumped at the 11th annual Arewa House Lecture at the Arewa House Banquet Hall in Kaduna. Tinubu who chaired the event was moving across – behind the high table – flanked by participants and some security detail when the fall occured. And its all because of his shoe got stuck in his overflowing Agbada.
The Agbada style has become regular attire by our Presidents. We can see President Tinubu dashingly looking presidential on this three piece outfit. But when next time President Tinubu will rock the Democracy Day or Army Force Remembrance Day, let the Agbada cut according to the President size.
For those who are making political gain out of the infortunate incident should know that everyone can misstep, whether they are old or young, healthy or not, and the Presidents are no exception. Do we really have to politicize everything for God sake?” Politics should be over by now.
Its time to lift up Tinubu. He is our President. Its time all Nigerians should come together to lift him up even if he falls and get up. Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up and continue the good work, but the wicked will stumble into ruin. For a righteous man falled seven times, and rised up again.
Yusuf Ali
Senior Special Assistant (SSA)
Digital and Strategic Communications.