ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigerian Presidency has launched a defiant media offensive to quash a firestorm of speculation regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s physical condition. The move follows a series of public mishaps and a scathing critique from former U.S. Mayor Mike Arnold, who has publicly alleged that the President is “wasting away.”
In a wave of official statements issued throughout February 2026, the administration dismissed rumors of an incapacitated leader, characterizing recent stumbles as “minor accidents” and “natural occurrences” rather than signs of a deep-seated medical crisis.
The “Blue Carpet” Defense
The controversy reached a fever pitch following the President’s state visit to Türkiye in late January. Viral footage showing Tinubu losing his footing during a ceremonial reception in Ankara led to immediate claims by critics that his health was in terminal decline.
The Presidency, through Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga and Media Aide Sunday Dare, countered with a series of blunt clarifications:
- The Cause: Officials attributed the stumble to a “poorly laid blue carpet” and a “metal object” on the floor that caused a momentary loss of balance.
- The Recovery: Sunday Dare reassured the public that the President “recovered instantly” and proceeded directly to high-level bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- Official Status: The administration maintains that Tinubu is in “excellent health,” dismissing reports of secret medical trips to Paris as “unfounded speculation” designed to destabilize the government.
Addressing the Mike Arnold Allegations
The Presidency has reserved its sharpest rhetoric for Mike Arnold. Arnold’s claims—including allegations of a “stage three cancer” diagnosis and a “shadow regency” led by the First Lady and Nuhu Ribadu—have gained significant traction on social media.
Pro-government groups and former spokesmen, including Denge Josef Onoh, have accused Arnold of seizing on human errors to push “baseless propaganda.” Onoh argued that “momentary losses of footing” are common risks for leaders on grueling international schedules and do not reflect the President’s true physical state.
The administration has particularly taken aim at Arnold’s characterization of the Reno Omokri ambassadorial nomination as a “rebranding exercise” for a secret 2031 political ticket, calling such theories the work of “fringe elements.”
Business as Usual?
To demonstrate that the President remains firmly in control, the Villa has highlighted a flurry of executive activity. By late February 2026, Tinubu moved to settle the leadership of the nation’s security forces, confirming the exit of Kayode Egbetokun and naming Tunji Disu as the new Inspector General of Police.
The move was intended to signal a firm hand on the tiller of government. However, the contrast between the “hale and hearty” official narrative and the reality of a President who has now stumbled both at Eagle Square in Abuja and on the international stage continues to polarize the nation. While the official line remains “carpet, not cancer,” the shadow cast by Arnold’s allegations remains the administration’s most persistent public relations challenge.
