HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TINUBU’S VIRAL FALL

The viral video of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stumbling while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day celebration stirred a lot of reactions. However he has joined the list of world leaders who have had public falls.

In 2023 the president of the United States of America (USA), Joe Biden fell at the US Air Force Academy which captured a global attention. Critics used the fall to highlight his age and question his fitness for office. However, he is not the only political figure to have such an incident.

Here are a list of world leaders who have also had their share of public falls:

1. In 2020 Donald Trump’s unsteady descent down a ramp at the U.S. Military Academy led to criticism and the creation of the hashtag #TrumpIsNotWell. However, he defended himself, blaming the ramp’s steepness and slipperiness.
2. In 2019 Xi Jinping nearly fell off a stage in Russia during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a moment dubbed the “great fall of China” by commentators.
3. In 2016 Hillary Clinton stumbled during a 9/11 memorial service in New York due to illness. The incident, attributed to pneumonia and dehydration, became a campaign issue, with her rival Donald Trump questioning her stamina for office.
4. In 2019 Vladimir Putin fell during a victory lap in an ice hockey game, highlighting the vulnerability of a leader known for projecting strength.
5. In 2015 Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Danish Prime Minister fell while exiting the Elysee Palace in Paris, quickly recovering to take questions from reporters.
6. In 2015 Boris Johnson slipped during a charity tug-of-war game, adding to his image of a disheveled and nonchalant politician.
7. In 2015 Robert Mugabe stumbled down steps in Harare. The government denied the fall, blaming poor carpeting.
8. In 1982 Margaret Thatcher’s fall after meetings in Beijing was seen as symbolic of Britain’s waning power during negotiations over Hong Kong.
9. In 1975 Gerald Ford fell while disembarking Air Force One in Salzburg. The fall was widely broadcast and mocked in late-night comedy, reinforcing an image of clumsiness.

Events such as this can be oddly compelling as it disrupts the image of these individuals as being invulnerable because many see them as such forgetting that they are humans also.