Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, has explained why Vice President Kashim Shettima did not sit close to United States President Donald Trump at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, despite his earlier assurance that Nigeria would secure a prominent position near the US president.

Ibrahim said Nigeria nevertheless occupied the sixth position in the front row of the General Assembly chamber.

He described the seating arrangement as a significant diplomatic achievement.

The envoy spoke on Channels Television’s  Politics Today on Tuesday while defending President Bola Tinubu’s decision to stay away from the UNGA in New York and send Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.

Ibrahim had earlier said he had secured a seat close to Trump for Tinubu at the General Assembly. However, Tinubu did not attend the gathering, with Shettima representing him and delivering Nigeria’s national statement.

Explaining the development, Ibrahim said Trump did not remain in the General Assembly chamber after delivering his address and therefore had no designated seat alongside which Shettima could have been seated.

You have to thank me and commend my effort. I said Nigeria will be in the front seat, was Nigeria not in the front seat? You said Nigeria will sit with Donald Trump, did Donald Trump have any seat in the General Assembly?” Ibrahim asked.

“He didn’t sit for a second, he just came in to the podium, delivered a guest speech and left from there. Did he go to sit on a seat?”

According to Ibrahim, had Trump remained in the chamber, the US president would have been seated behind Nigeria, rather than ahead of the Nigerian delegation.

In fact, he would have been sitting far behind Nigeria. So, what are you talking about? I delivered on the fact that Nigeria will sit in the front row, number six,” he said.

The Nigerian envoy also challenged those questioning the arrangement to consider the significance of Nigeria occupying the sixth position in the front row among the 193 member states of the United Nations.

“Do you think it is easy for a country to sit at number six in the front row? Don’t you know it is a country sitting at number 193 and your country is sitting at number six?” he said.

Ibrahim further defended Tinubu’s decision not to travel to New York, saying he would not have advised the President to attend after it became apparent that more than 60 per cent of those scheduled to address the General Assembly were being represented by vice presidents or foreign ministers.

He argued that there was little justification for Tinubu to leave other pressing national matters to travel to New York for an address lasting about 15 minutes when several other countries were represented by senior officials.

The envoy also cited the absence of the presidents of South Africa, China and Russia among other leaders, insisting that Nigeria was adequately represented by Shettima.

He said Tinubu would address the United Nations General Assembly at an appropriate time, while maintaining that Nigeria’s diplomatic standing was not diminished by the President’s absence.

Ibrahim’s comments came amid renewed debate over Tinubu’s four-week stay in Europe and his failure to attend the UNGA.

The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition figures had questioned the President’s prolonged absence from Nigeria and raised issues surrounding Section 145 of the Constitution.

Atiku specifically questioned whether Tinubu transmitted a written declaration to the leadership of the National Assembly transferring presidential functions to Shettima during his absence.

Ibrahim, however, dismissed the concerns, insisting that Tinubu did not violate the Constitution.

“The president hasn’t committed any offence. Did he breach any provision of the Constitution?” he said.

He argued that a working leave was different from an absolute leave, adding that even he was seeking leave after resuming his duties as chair of the UN budget.

“Human beings are not machines,” Ibrahim said.