Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, tripped and fell while trying to climb the truck on his way to give his speech at Eagles Square in Abuja on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, to mark Democracy Day.
A viral video showed the President losing his footing while stepping into the truck.
In his reaction, Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, played down the incident.
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Olusegun wrote, “Mr President missed his step while climbing into the truck at the June 12 Democracy Day celebration and tripped. It was a mild misstep. He immediately went on with the ceremonial rounds. No issues.”
In a similar incident in 2021, US President Joe Biden stumbled while climbing the stairs to board Air Force One for a flight to Atlanta.
Biden took 10 steps up the stairs before tripping, catching himself, taking a couple more steps, and then tripping twice more.
“It’s very windy outside,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters travelling with Biden when asked about the president’s stumble.
“He is doing 100 per cent fine. He’s doing great,” she said.
In another incident in 2023, Biden stumbled once again while ascending a short flight of stairs at an event in Philadelphia.
The president appeared to lose his balance while surmounting a trio of metal steps with a railing just as he was walking to get on stage.
He quickly caught his balance and made it up the stairs to begin his speech.