Tinubu And Other World Leaders Who Fell During Public Ceremonies
Social media was sent into a frenzy on Wednesday after President Bola Tinubu, slipped while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day celebration.
The President, however, quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings without further issues.
Below are the other world leaders aside from Tinubu, who had a momentary fall during a public ceremony.
1. President Joe Biden: In March 2021, United States President, Joe Biden tripped on Air Force One stairs while scaling the steps to Air Force One to Atlanta to meet with Asian-American community leaders on a massacre.
2. Robert Mugabe: In February 2015, Zimbabwe’s 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe fell down a staircase as he walked off a podium after addressing supporters at Harare International Airport.
3. President Gerald Ford: Former President of the United States, Gerald Ford, slipped on Air Force One in 1975 while visiting Vienna in Austria for talks with Egyptian President Anwar Sada.
4. Cuba leader, Fidel Castro: Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, in October 2004, fell off the stage in Santa Clara, Cuba. Castro broke his knee and arm in the fall.
5. Barack Obama: In March 2015, former US President, Barack Obama came close to falling down the steps of Air Force One. Obama was returning to Washington DC from a golfing trip in Florida when he bounded from the plane door only to lose his footing. He recovered and continued across the tarmac with the same spring in his step.
6. Mike Pence: In June 2020, Vice President Mike Pence had a moment remarkably similar to President Biden’s upward slip. Pence was filmed running, then tripping, up the staircase of Air Force Two.
7. Tommy Tuberville: In October 2023, Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has previously criticised President Joe Biden for falling in public view, was mocked online after a video showing him falling down a flight of plane stairs himself went viral.
8. Hillary Clinton: The then-Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in 2011, was boarding a plane to Yemen when she slipped to her knees at the doorway and was only saved from further embarrassment when an aide gave her a helping hand.
9. Vladimir Putin: The Russian leader who loves to display his aura, saw himself on the floor during a 2019 hockey game he played in. He was doing a victory lap around Sochi’s Bolshoy Ice Dome and applauding fans when he slammed on the floor.
10. Boris Johnson: The former United Kingdom prime minister, was a victim of an epic fall after he tripped and landed on the floor during a charity tug-of-war game at a World War I commemoration event with Britain’s armed forces in 2015.