Why Tinubu Cannot Attend UNGA 81st Meeting in New York

ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is no longer expected to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, in a sudden reversal of earlier plans that had placed him among world leaders scheduled to address the gathering.

The reason for the reported cancellation has not been officially disclosed by the Presidency. A source close to the Presidency told SaharaReporters on Friday that Tinubu would not attend the UNGA, but did not explain why the President had changed his plans.

The development is significant because Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, had previously indicated that Tinubu would personally attend the meeting.

Earlier programmes had also listed Tinubu to deliver Nigeria’s national statement on Wednesday, September 23, during the high-level General Debate.

The United Nations confirms that the 81st General Assembly’s high-level General Debate will take place from September 22 to 28 in New York, under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

US legal controversy raises questions

Although no official connection has been established between the UNGA cancellation and Tinubu’s legal controversy in the United States, the timing has drawn renewed attention to an ongoing federal court case involving requests for historical US law-enforcement records concerning the Nigerian President.

The case, Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., No. 1:23-cv-01816-BAH, is a civil Freedom of Information Act lawsuit before the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

American transparency activist Aaron Greenspan is seeking records from agencies including the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration relating to historical investigations dating to the early 1990s. The court record confirms that Tinubu intervened in the case, citing privacy interests in confidential tax and law-enforcement records.

The controversy intensified in August 2026 after Tinubu’s lawyers asked the US court to prevent the release of additional FBI and DEA records sought by Greenspan.

The President’s legal team argued that disclosure of investigative files could violate privacy protections and urged the court to uphold redactions and withholding of the records.

But there is no evidence of an arrest plan

Claims circulating that Tinubu cancelled his UNGA trip because the Donald Trump administration had prepared a secret plan to arrest him in New York have not been independently established.

The available court records show a FOIA records-disclosure dispute, not a criminal prosecution or an arrest warrant against Tinubu.

A 2025 ruling by Judge Beryl Howell described the underlying litigation as a dispute over requests for FBI, DEA, CIA and other government records concerning alleged investigations. The ruling does not establish that Tinubu was facing a criminal prosecution in the United States.

Consequently, the allegation that Tinubu would be arrested immediately upon entering the United States remains an unverified claim, rather than an established fact.

Why the cancellation is attracting attention

The timing is nevertheless notable.

Tinubu had previously been publicly presented as Nigeria’s representative at the UNGA, and Nigerian officials had prepared for his participation.

The President’s reported withdrawal therefore raises questions about whether there has been a change in his international travel plans, diplomatic schedule or security considerations.

Another possible explanation is simply a change in the Presidency’s itinerary. However, no such explanation has yet been publicly provided.

The US itself is preparing to host numerous foreign leaders in New York. Reuters reported that nearly 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend the High-Level Week in person.

Interestingly, the Trump administration has also agreed to allow Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior Iranian officials to attend UNGA despite the serious tensions between Washington and Tehran, subject to restrictions.

That development makes it difficult to establish, from publicly available evidence alone, that Tinubu’s reported non-attendance is necessarily connected to a US plan to prevent him from entering the country.

Presidency yet to explain reversal

The major unanswered question is therefore why the President has reportedly cancelled a trip that had previously been confirmed.

As of September 19, there has been no publicly announced explanation from the Presidency establishing that the decision was caused by the US court case, a possible arrest, diplomatic concerns or security intelligence.

If Tinubu ultimately does not travel, Nigeria would still be represented at the General Assembly by another senior official. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President at the 79th and 80th UN General Assemblies in 2024 and 2025.

For now, the established facts are that Tinubu had been expected to attend, a Presidency source now says he will not attend, and no official reason has been given.

The US legal controversy involving historical FBI and DEA records is real and ongoing, but there is currently no verified evidence that the case has produced an arrest warrant or that it is the reason Tinubu cancelled his UNGA appearance.

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