Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, credited his Yoruba culture with his fall during Wednesday’s Democracy Day ceremony.
The 72-year-old Tinubu slipped and fell over at an official event to mark the Silver Jubilee of his country’s democracy.
As he climbed the steps on a vehicle that was supposed to take him around Eagle Square in the capital, Abuja, President Tinubu slipped and fell. He had to be helped to get back to his feet, and the incident was all over social media.
Later that evening, in his speech at a banquet dinner, President Tinubu made light of his slip earlier in the day.
“Early this morning, I had a swagger and it’s on the social media. They’re confused whether I was doing buga or doing babanriga,” he said.
Buga and babanriga are two of Nigeria’s popular dance moves.
“But it’s a day to celebrate democracy while doing dobale for the day. I’m a traditional Yoruba boy, I did my dobale.”
In Yoruba, dobale is a practice of bowing to greet one’s elders.
As always happens with high-profile falls, particularly of presidents, mixed reactions followed Tinubu’s incident. Some are sympathetic and make little of it, while others are raising concerns about his age and health.
