Fmr. Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has revealed how he persuaded Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to greet President Bola Tinubu during the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Speaking during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube channel, Fayemi disclosed that Obi was initially reluctant to approach Tinubu because he feared the interaction could be misinterpreted or politicized by the media.
According to Fayemi, both he and Obi attended the papal inauguration as Catholics and had breakfast with Cardinal Lazarus before proceeding to the ceremony, where they were seated a few rows behind President Tinubu and members of the Nigerian delegation.
Fayemi said the moment began after Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, left the presidential section to exchange greetings with them. He then suggested to Obi that they should also extend courtesy to the president despite their political differences.
However, Obi reportedly hesitated, expressing concerns that photographs or videos from the meeting could be “misused in the media.”
Recalling the conversation, Fayemi said he told Obi:
“Peter, please let us go. President Tinubu is here representing Nigeria at the Vatican, even though he is not a Catholic.”
He said Obi eventually agreed, and both men approached Tinubu together.
According to Fayemi, he welcomed the president to the Vatican, but Tinubu jokingly replied that he should be the one welcoming them since he was the leader of the Nigerian delegation.
Fayemi added that Obi acknowledged Tinubu’s position by saying:
“Yes sir, you are our leader,” while thanking him for attending the inauguration ceremony.
The former governor said the meeting ended cordially, with both sides exchanging pleasantries before Tinubu moved on to other engagements at the Vatican.
