President Bola Tinubu and his Labour Party (LP) rival in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi as well as the former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, eschewed their political differences when they joined other world leaders yesterday at the inaugural mass of the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, at the Vatican City.
Spokesman for the president, Mr Bayo Onanuga who reported on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956 what happened when the three men met said: “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.
“Obi said: ‘Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation’. Peter Obi and Fayemi are staunch Catholics and Papal knights.”
Tinubu had earlier on arrival in Rome on Saturday been hosted to dinner by Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In a post on his verified official X handle, the president said their dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity.
“Upon my arrival in Rome ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I was warmly received and graciously hosted to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican.
“Our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future, focusing on common values such as peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity.
“I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world.
“As always, Nigeria remains a nation open to friendship, grounded in faith, and committed to building bridges of understanding across the world,” the president wrote.
Addressing the press after the Mass, the president said he felt good being part of the inauguration of the new Pope, adding that his participation aligned with his broader message of national unity.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu, according to Onanuga also met with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Rome and urged Nigerians to harness their diversity for national stability and progress.
“If we use our diversity not for adversity but for prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress,” the president was quoted as saying.
Tinubu described it as a historic privilege to be the President of Nigeria at the time of the installation of a new Pope in Rome.
Leading the bishops was Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and President of the CBCN, who thanked the president for facilitating their visits to the Vatican, first to attend the funeral of the late Pope Francis and now to witness the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.
He described the development as heralding a new era of stronger engagement between the Catholic Church and the Nigerian government.
“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,” Archbishop Ugorji said.
Other members of the clergy who met with the president included Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
