We regret the error – Presidency retracts claims of Tinubu being first African leader to ring Nasdaq bell

The presidency has withdrawn its previous claim that President Bola Tinubu was the first African leader to ring the closing bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ) in New York.

The president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Friday, said the claim was made based on the information provided by a third-party event organiser.

He said: “We inadvertently referred to President Bola Tinubu as the first African leader to ring the bell at NASDAQ on Wednesday in New York, based on the information provided by a third-party event organiser.

“We have since found out that this information was/is incorrect as a former African leader has indeed had the privilege. This error is sincerely regretted.”

It may be recalled that on Tuesday, Ngelale labelled President Tinubu “the first African leader to ring the closing bell at NASDAQ.”

A statement released by presidency had read; “In honour of President Bola Tinubu’s determined global push to aggressively attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria, the world’s second largest stock exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ), on Wednesday in the world’s financial capital, invited President Tinubu to ring the closing bell, making him the first African President to ever receive the honour.

The President, surrounded by Nigerian business leaders and officials of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in trademark fashion, did not fail to seize the opportunity presented by the historic moment to boldly advance his foreign investment push as he stood, live, in front of financial markets at the famous stock exchange.”