By The Editorial Board
The Emperor is Naked Part 3 continues, highlighting the latest flop involving President Tinubu at the COP28 international conference in Dubai. His speech to stakeholders and investors on the Nigeria Carbon Market and Electric Buses Rollout Programme was a fiasco, marked by ineptitude and confusion. If you haven’t seen the video, here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOkZMprWNxM. Viewer discretion is advised. The president’s presentation is cringeworthy.
As you’ll see in the video, President Tinubu took the stage, but what followed was less a speech and more a comedy of errors. Picture the scene: world leaders, poised for insights, instead find themselves in a slapstick routine of mispronounced words, skipped sentences and stumbled-over paragraphs, revealing his nervousness and lack of subject knowledge in front of the audience.
When examining the written script alongside President Tinubu’s delivered speech, glaring discrepancies become evident. It’s as though the speech, originally coherent on paper, transformed into a jigsaw puzzle in its delivery.
Sentences that should have formed a logical sequence were omitted, while paragraphs lost their intended order, resulting in a speech that was not only difficult to follow but also verged on incoherence. This disjointed delivery turned what was meant to be a structured address into a rambling, nonsensical monologue.
Tinubu’s eyes, darting for approval, found none. His reading was less Oscar-worthy and more reminiscent of a nervous middle schooler in a spelling bee.
The audience’s reactions were a spectacle in themselves. Some faces etched with pity, others barely concealing their cringes. John Kerry mirrored the audience’s discomfort. Dr. Sultan Ahmed al-Jabar; UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and the Chinese Envoy on Climate, Xie Zhenhue were visibly shocked and embarrassed.
Watching the incident unfold was a distinctly uncomfortable experience. In the video, Kerry’s reaction is particularly telling – he’s seen slapping the side of his chair, resembling a parent in distress as they watch their child falter in a school play. Similarly, Ahmed al-Jabar’s reaction was marked by uncontrollable but sympathetic nodding, as if to offer encouragement in a situation that seemed beyond redemption.
The speech, intended to be a moment of gravitas, instead turned into an impromptu lesson on how not to address the world.
Unpreparedness seemed to be the theme of Tinubu’s performance. His grasp on the subject was as shaky as his legs, hidden but not unnoticed behind the podium. This lack of expertise wasn’t just a minor hiccup; it was a glaring spotlight on his inadequacies, magnifying every nervous twitch and uncertain glance.
But why did he choose to be there? In a world brimming with skilled orators and knowledgeable ministers, why thrust himself into the lion’s den of international scrutiny? The answer seems to lie in a quest for legitimacy. Tinubu, embroiled in controversies that paint a less-than-ideal picture of his presidency, seemed desperate to clutch at any straw of credibility.
Yet, this attempt backfired spectacularly. World leaders looked on not with respect, but with a mix of dismay and disbelief.
In this high-stakes environment, Tinubu’s appearance could have been a moment of redemption, a chance to stand tall despite his many controversies. Instead, it turned into a reinforcement of all the doubts that have dogged his presidency. The world stage is unforgiving, and Tinubu’s faltering steps on it only served to deepen the skepticism about his leadership.
In a world where public speaking can make or break reputations, this was definitely a break. Tinubu’s handlers and speechwriters, presumably hiding behind the curtains, might have wished to be anywhere but there. If they have any dignity left, they should resign.
As Tinubu exited the stage, the sigh of relief was almost audible. It’s a reminder that legitimacy cannot be conjured through mere appearances; it needs to be built on the solid ground of competence and credibility. In trying to dress himself in the robes of a legitimate and capable leader, Tinubu ended up revealing his vulnerabilities for the world to see. The emperor, indeed, was naked. Perhaps next time, the emperor will choose his attire, or in this case, his words, more wisely.
