Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson linked to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) campaign, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is avoiding the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York because he fears possible arrest or what he described as a “Venezuela option.”
Okonkwo made the claim during an Arise News interview on September 23, 2026, while criticizing Tinubu’s absence from the high-level UNGA meetings.
He argued that Tinubu “ought to be at the UNGA in person,” noting that the president had not attended the global gathering for three consecutive years since his appearance in 2023.
“A reasonable man should say he is hiding from the United States of America,” Okonkwo said.
He linked Tinubu’s absence to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments concerning drug trafficking and Venezuela, suggesting that the Nigerian president could face a similar situation involving international legal action.
Okonkwo also referred to Tinubu’s historical legal matters in the United States, including the 1990s civil forfeiture of about $460,000 from accounts linked to him. He characterized the case as a plea bargain related to narcotics allegations and questioned why records connected to the matter had faced efforts to prevent their release.
The former Anambra State lawmaker also criticized presidential aides who have defended Tinubu’s decision not to attend the UNGA in person.
Tinubu attended the 78th UNGA in 2023 but did not attend the 79th session in 2024 or the 80th session in 2025. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at both meetings.
For the 81st UNGA, the Presidency confirmed that Tinubu would again not attend in person, with Shettima leading the Nigerian delegation and delivering the country’s national statement.
The Presidency has rejected suggestions that Tinubu’s absence is connected to US immigration restrictions, an arrest threat or concerns about legal exposure. Government officials have attributed the decision to domestic priorities and described Nigeria’s representation at the UNGA as adequate.
The administration has also pointed to Tinubu’s previous visits to the United States as evidence against claims that he is unable to enter the country.
Earlier in 2026, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, had indicated that Tinubu planned to attend the 81st UNGA and that arrangements had been made for him to sit near Trump. That attendance did not occur.
Okonkwo’s comments come amid renewed political scrutiny of Tinubu’s repeated absence from the UNGA and wider debate over his past dealings in the United States.
There is, however, no established evidence in the available reporting of an active US arrest warrant, travel ban or imminent legal action against Tinubu connected to his decision not to attend the 2026 UNGA.
