Presidency Attributes Tinubu’s Fall in Turkey to Poorly Laid Carpet

The presidency has explained President Bola Tinubu’s brief fall during an official welcome ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, attributing the incident to a poorly laid carpet.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Turkish presidential complex, where Tinubu was participating in a ceremonial march-past alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Video footage from the event shows the president momentarily losing his footing on a blue carpet before falling. He was quickly assisted by security personnel and resumed the programme without delay.

Reacting to the incident, the presidency said the fall was caused by the condition of the carpet at the venue. Arise Television reported that officials described the carpet as improperly laid.

Dada Olusegun, special assistant to the president on social media, confirmed that the incident did not affect the state visit or scheduled engagements.

“Mr President missed his step very briefly and has continued his bilateral meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Olusegun wrote on X. “A live press conference is happening immediately after the bilateral.”

The presidency said Tinubu remained in good health and continued all planned activities for the visit.