Vice President Kashim Shettima’s trip to Samoa for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was canceled after a foreign object damaged his plane’s cockpit windscreen during a stopover at New York’s JFK Airport.
This incident, reported on Thursday night, was confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President.
Due to the damage, President Bola Tinubu quickly approved a new delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit. The team is now led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal.
Onanuga shared, “Vice President Kashim Shettima’s trip to Samoa to represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit has been canceled after a foreign object hit his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.” He continued, “President Tinubu, acting promptly, has approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in the Samoa capital of Apia while the plane’s repair has commenced.”
The 2024 Commonwealth summit, held in Apia, Samoa, began on October 21 and will conclude on October 26. Vice President Shettima and Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar have since left New York and are returning to Nigeria.
