By Adeola Badru 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, has backed President Bola Tinubu’s decision to delegate Vice-President Kashim Shettima to represent him at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), arguing that the government’s immediate priority should remain addressing challenges confronting Nigerians at home.

Mumuni spoke amid public reactions to the Presidency’s announcement that Shettima would represent Tinubu and lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States, for the third consecutive year.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Rasheed Abubakar, Mumuni said the debate over Tinubu’s absence should be considered within the broader context of the operations of the UN General Assembly and what the annual gathering could realistically achieve for member states.

He described UNGA as an annual international platform where the 193 member states of the United Nations present their positions, deliberate on global issues and engage in diplomatic activities.

According to him, the gathering provides countries with opportunities to discuss international peace and security, climate change, trade, economic cooperation, human rights, humanitarian assistance and development.

Mumuni said the General Assembly provides an avenue for countries to communicate their positions, while bilateral meetings and other diplomatic engagements are also conducted on the margins of the annual gathering.

He argued that international forums should not be regarded as substitutes for domestic governance, stressing that the ultimate responsibility of any government was to address the needs and concerns of its citizens.

“UNGA is essentially an annual international debate platform where nations convene to discuss world issues, share positions and make diplomatic statements,” he said.

Mumuni maintained that the physical presence of a president at the gathering should not become the sole measure of a country’s participation or diplomatic engagement.

The APC chieftain further argued that there was no international law requiring a sitting president to personally attend the General Assembly.

He noted that the UN Charter provides that the General Assembly consists of all UN member states and that each member may have up to five representatives, adding that while the provision establishes representation by member states, it does not require presidents or prime ministers to personally attend.

“Presidential attendance is a matter of choice and priority, not obligation,” Mumuni said.

He listed possible reasons why presidents could delegate international engagements to other senior government officials, including pressing domestic responsibilities, competing international commitments and strategic considerations.

Mumuni said Shettima, as a senior member of the Federal Government, was capable of articulating Nigeria’s positions and adequately representing the country at the international gathering.

The Presidency confirmed on September 21 that Shettima had travelled to New York to attend the 81st UNGA and would present Nigeria’s national statement.

It also said Tinubu had extended his working vacation by a few days and was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.

Questioning whether the physical attendance of previous Nigerian presidents at international gatherings had translated into solutions to the country’s domestic challenges, Mumuni asked: “Did these attendances solve Nigeria’s insecurity crisis? Did they end poverty? Did they create jobs for millions of unemployed youth?”

He said while international platforms could create diplomatic opportunities for Nigeria, they could not independently resolve the country’s domestic problems.

“International forums do not solve domestic problems,” he said.

Mumuni consequently urged the Federal Government to maintain its focus on issues directly affecting ordinary Nigerians, including insecurity, the cost of living, unemployment, healthcare and infrastructure.

He argued that the effectiveness of governance should ultimately be reflected in tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

The APC chieftain also urged Nigerians to look beyond presidential attendance at international gatherings and instead examine the actual objectives and outcomes of Nigeria’s participation in such engagements.

He said greater attention should be paid to the diplomatic objectives pursued by Nigeria, bilateral engagements held, partnerships developed and commitments secured through international platforms such as the UNGA.

Mumuni, therefore, called for a broader assessment of Nigeria’s participation in the General Assembly, maintaining that the immediate priority should remain the challenges confronting Nigerians while the country continues to pursue its national interests through international diplomacy.