I persuaded Obi to greet Tinubu at Vatican –  Fayemi 

Kayode Fayemi, former Ekiti State governor, has revealed how he persuaded Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to greet President Bola Tinubu during the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.

Fayemi disclosed this during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube programme, saying Obi initially hesitated over fears that the encounter could be misinterpreted politically.

According to Fayemi, both men attended the papal inauguration as Catholics and had breakfast earlier that day with Cardinal Lazarus before heading to the venue, where they were seated a few rows behind Tinubu.

He said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, first approached them from the presidential delegation, prompting him to suggest they also greet the president.

Fayemi recalled telling Obi that Tinubu deserved the courtesy for representing Nigeria at the ceremony despite being a Muslim.

“He had his concern that this might be misused in the media. I said, ‘Peter, it really didn’t matter. You are Catholic. You are a Nigerian. Our president is here to honour the Pope on behalf of Nigeria,’” Fayemi said.

He added that Obi eventually agreed and accompanied him to greet Tinubu.

According to Fayemi, Tinubu responded humorously, saying he should be the one welcoming them as leader of the Nigerian delegation.

Obi, he said, acknowledged Tinubu’s position and thanked him for attending the inauguration.

Photographs from the encounter, earlier shared by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, had generated mixed reactions online.

Recall that the Supreme Court had  declared Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential election after Obi, and Atiku Abubakar, former Vice president, had gone to court fo challenge the announcement of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).