By Bayo Onanuga/
In a rare display of camaraderie and shared faith, Nigeria’s political heavyweights—President Bola Tinubu, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Ekiti governor Kayode Fayemi—put politics aside for piety at the Vatican over the weekend.
The occasion? The grand installation Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome.
It was Fayemi, a devout Catholic and Papal Knight, who first spotted President Tinubu seated among global dignitaries. He nudged fellow knight Peter Obi, urging him to join in greeting the Nigerian leader.
Obi obliged.
With reverence and a touch of humour, Fayemi broke the diplomatic ice. “Mr. President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence,” he said.
Not missing a beat, President Tinubu quipped, “I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I’m the Head of the Nigerian Delegation.”
The light-hearted remark drew laughter from Obi, who nodded in agreement and replied, “Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation.”
It was a Vatican vignette no one saw coming—a moment where faith trumped rivalry, and church pews replaced political trenches.
For a brief, blessed moment in the heart of Christendom, Nigeria’s most powerful men found unity, not in policy, but in prayer.
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