JUST IN: Tinubu Meets Ramaphosa for Key Bilateral Talks in South Africa

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria is currently holding a significant bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. This high-level discussion, aimed at addressing diplomatic, economic, and bilateral issues, was announced by Olusegun Dada, a presidential aide, through a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives South Africa President @CyrilRamaphosa for Diplomatic, Economic and Bilateral talks after a successful Presidential Inauguration Ceremony,” Dada shared in his post.

Tinubu is in South Africa for Ramaphosa’s inauguration, following the latter’s re-election through a historic coalition deal between the African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties. This new coalition government includes the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and several smaller parties, marking a significant shift after the ANC lost its 30-year controlling majority in last month’s elections.

A viral video from Wednesday’s inauguration, showing Ramaphosa allegedly ignoring Tinubu, stirred reactions on social media. However, the presidency clarified that the video was taken out of context.

This meeting marks the first encounter between Tinubu and Ramaphosa since their last meeting in New York during the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2023, where Tinubu sought to deepen economic ties between Nigeria and South Africa.