PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, shared a moment with the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and a former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, during Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration mass in Rome.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a post on X on Sunday.
The meeting between Tinubu and Obi comes almost two years after the fiercely contested February 2023 presidential election, in which Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was declared the winner, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obi and other contenders.
Their encounter at the Vatican on Sunday, though brief and cordial, drew attention, given the political rivalry and heated debates that surrounded the election.
The moment, marked by humour and civility, offered a rare glimpse of camaraderie amid Nigeria’s often polarised political landscape.
Onanuga captured the moment, saying: “Fayemi sighted President Tinubu, where he sat with other leaders and asked Obi to follow him to pay homage to the Nigerian leader. Obi agreed.
“On getting to the President, Fayemi broke the ice between Obi and Tinubu. He said: ‘Mr President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence.’
“President Tinubu, ever quick-witted, responded: ‘I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I’m the head of the Nigerian delegation’.
“The President’s response cracked up Obi, who agreed with the President. He said, ‘Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation.’ Both Obi and Fayemi are devout Catholics and Papal knights.”
Speaking on the Vatican meeting on his X handle, Obi said, “Today’s event was particularly special, as it marked the beginning of a new papacy.
“I exchanged warm greetings with President Bola Tinubu and was pleased to see the diverse gathering of world leaders and pilgrims who came in faith and unity.”
He recalled the memories of 2013 when he visited the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica alongside Fayemi, as they were both governors at the time.
“Today, Dr John Kayode Fayemi and I stood once again beneath the majestic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, evoking memories of our presence here as governors in 2013 for the inauguration of Pope Francis – a deeply significant moment for the Church and the world.
“Over the years, I have returned to this sacred place on several occasions, including as part of Nigeria’s official delegation to the canonisations of Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
“Through my involvement with Scholas Occurrentes, the global initiative founded by Pope Francis, I have also participated in various efforts promoting education, peace, and intercultural dialogue,” he added.
The photos shared by Onanuga quickly sparked a flurry of reactions online, with supporters of Tinubu and Obi flooding the comment section.
While some praised the show of civility between the two political figures, others reignited partisan debates, trading jabs over the outcome of the 2023 election and the direction of the country under Tinubu’s leadership.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu on Sunday said his visit to the Vatican for Pope Leo XIV’s installation Mass is consistent with Nigeria’s unity in diversity.
This was as he urged Nigerians to use their diversity for the country’s stability and rapid development.
Speaking to reporters after the inauguration Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, the President stated, “It is consistent in the true sense of unity in diversity and I am greatly honoured.
“We have to continue to work on it , it’s a work in progress for the sake of our country and the continent as a whole.”
Onanuga revealed this in a statement he signed Sunday titled ‘President Tinubu, At Meeting With Catholic Bishops, Says: Let’s Harness Our Diversity For The Prosperity Of The Nation.’
At a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, the President also issued a stirring call to leaders at all levels to work for the betterment of the citizenry.
President Tinubu, a Muslim, said, “If we use our diversity not for adversity but for prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress.”
He described it as historic, being the President of Nigeria when a new Pope was inaugurated in Rome.
The Catholic bishops were part of President Tinubu’s delegation to attend Pope Leo XIV’s installation mass on Sunday.
Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Lucius Ugorji, thanked President Tinubu for facilitating their visits to the Vatican to bury the late Pope Francis and witness the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.
He said the development signalled a new era of a more robust relationship between the President and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
“You are always there for us. Now that you have come to the Vatican, whenever we have our conference in Nigeria, we will also invite you, and we look forward to interfacing with you just as you were able to do with the Holy Father,” he said.
Archbishops Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Mathew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, attended the meeting with the President.
Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy, to join other world leaders at the solemn mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.