In the wake of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s misstep at the Democracy Day celebrations at Eagles Square, former presidential aide Laolu Akande, has urged the public and media to avoid overblowing the incident.
Akande’s comments came via a tweet on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the substantive issues of governance rather than a fleeting moment during the ceremonial event.
“Making a meal of d President’s slip at parade ground earlier today during the ‘democracy day’ is of no intrinsic value. It’s rather inelegant to make a mockery of such. We should wish him well & continue to hold him accountable for the good governance he has repeatedly promised,” Akande tweeted.
The incident occurred as President Tinubu was climbing into a ceremonial truck, where he missed a step and briefly stumbled.
Despite the minor fall, the President quickly regained his composure and continued with the ceremonial rounds, demonstrating resilience and poise.
Akande’s appeal comes in response to the wave of reactions that followed the incident, with some commentators and social media users focusing excessively on the President’s misstep.
Akande argued that such a focus detracts from more pressing issues and the broader significance of Democracy Day.
“Making a meal of the President’s slip at the parade ground earlier today during the ‘Democracy Day’ is of no intrinsic value,” Akande stated. “It’s rather inelegant to make a mockery of such. We should wish him well and continue to hold him accountable for the good governance he has repeatedly promised.”
Democracy Day, celebrated annually on June 12, marks Nigeria’s return to democratic rule and honors the democratic strides the nation has made since the pivotal 1993 elections.
Such minor slumps have occurred to notable world leaders including US President Joe Biden, former UK Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher, Boris Johnson, former US President Donald Trump and the likes.