By MOGAJI WOLE ARISEKOLA
Over the years, there has been some missteps among world leaders and presidents which has eventually resulted to them falling down physically in varied undignified ways.
But no matter how presidential and dignified one is, such unexpected things can happen. But such natural phenomenon doesn’t make that person a failure in the discharge of his duties or national assignment. Again, no one is infallible in that respect.
Unfortunately, in today’s media and social media space, such incidents are awkwardly scrutinized, misrepresented and often perpetuated through memes on social media, all in a deliberate attempt to extend their impact beyond the immediate moment.
But undoubtedly, Tinubu’s stumbling on stage during the Democracy Day event in Abuja isn’t something anyone should feel merry about. The President has only joined the list of world leaders who have had public falls, including Biden, Trump, Obama, Xi Jinping, Arap Moi, Jomo Kenyatta, among others.
To give a further insight into this, it is imperative to take a look at the global happenings of such, and their seemed or seamless distinction as the case might be
A PERSPECTIVE OF OTHER WORLD LEADERS WHO FELL DOWN AT PUBLIC OUTINGS
President Joe Biden’s fall at the US Air Force Academy captured global attention. However, he is not the only political figure to have such an incident.
From Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s 2019 slip, dubbed the “great fall of China,” to Gerald Ford’s 1975 tumble from Air Force One, such incidents often become fodder for public scrutiny and humor.
When high-profile figures fall, it disrupts their image of invulnerability. Bart Cammaerts, a professor at the London School of Economics, noted that these moments break the carefully constructed public images of politicians. For Biden, critics used the fall to highlight his age and question his fitness for office.
Seeing politicians in these vulnerable moments can be oddly compelling. Dan Stevens, a professor at Exeter University, remarked that such incidents are gripping because they reveal a loss of control from people who usually manage their public image meticulously.
Here are other notable world leaders’ fall:
1. Hillary Clinton (2016). 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.
2. Donald Trump (2020). Trump’s unsteady descent down a ramp at the U.S. Military Academy in 2020 led to criticism and the hashtag #TrumpIsNotWell. Trump defended himself, blaming the ramp’s steepness and slipperiness.
3. Gerald Ford (1975). 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.
4. Xi Jinping (2019). Xi nearly fell off a stage in Russia during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a moment dubbed the “great fall of China” by commentators.
5. Robert Mugabe (2015). Mugabe stumbled down steps in Harare. The government denied the fall, blaming poor carpeting.
6. Vladimir Putin (2019). Putin fell during a victory lap in an ice hockey game, highlighting the vulnerability of a leader known for projecting strength.
7. Boris Johnson (2015). Johnson slipped during a charity tug-of-war game, adding to his image of a disheveled and nonchalant politician.
8. Helle Thorning-Schmidt (2015). The Danish Prime Minister fell while exiting the Elysee Palace in Paris, quickly recovering to take questions from reporters.
9. Margaret Thatcher (1982). Thatcher’s fall after meetings in Beijing was seen as symbolic of Britain’s waning power during negotiations over Hong Kong.
The aforementioned are some of the world leaders who have fallen down at public functions and glare, but that has never meant they were failure, or immune to such. And so, that of president Tinubu should also be seen from such perspective.
Interestingly, every fall is given often christened mockingly in the media. For instance, Xi Jinping’s 2019 slip which was called the “great fall of China”.
Surely therefore, that of our President, Bola Tinubu, should also be given a name. And considering the superb, nationalistic and impactful democracy day speech he gave in the morning before the public outing, his fall should be called, “the silver jubilee democratic honour”.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola is the publisher of The Street Journal Magazine and also the National Chairman of the Association of Online Media Practitioners in Nigeria (AMPCON). He writes from Ibadan
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