Fayemi Reveals How He Convinced Peter Obi To Greet Tinubu At Vatican

Former Ekiti State Governor and ex-Minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi, has opened up on how he persuaded former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to greet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May 2025.

Fayemi disclosed this during a one-on-one interview with Edmund Obilo on State Affairs, offering fresh insight into the now widely discussed encounter between Obi and Tinubu in Rome.

According to Fayemi, he and Obi, both practising Catholics, attended the papal inauguration after having breakfast with Cardinal Lazarus before proceeding to St. Peter’s Square, where the event took place.

“We had breakfast that morning with Cardinal Lazarus and proceeded from his apartment to the venue, where we sat four rows behind the president,” Fayemi said.

The former governor explained that the interaction began after Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was part of the presidential delegation, approached him and Obi to exchange greetings.

Fayemi said he immediately felt it was appropriate for both of them to acknowledge the presence of the Nigerian leader at the international religious event despite political differences.

“I told Peter, ‘Please, let us go and greet him,’” Fayemi recounted.

However, Fayemi revealed that Obi initially hesitated because he feared the gesture could be politicised or misrepresented in the media.

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According to Fayemi, he convinced Obi by stressing that the occasion transcended politics and was about national unity and courtesy.

“I told him it really didn’t matter. You are a Catholic, you are a Nigerian, and you are here. Our president has honoured us by attending. He is even a Muslim, yet he came to represent all Nigerians at this Catholic event. We should extend basic courtesies,” Fayemi stated.

He disclosed that Obi eventually agreed and accompanied him to meet Tinubu.

Fayemi said Obi greeted the President warmly, saying: “Mr President, welcome to the Vatican. Thank you for honouring us with your presence.”

According to him, Tinubu responded humorously by reminding them that he was the leader of Nigeria’s official delegation to the Vatican ceremony.

“The President said, ‘I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I’m the Head of the Nigerian Delegation,’” Fayemi added.

Obi reportedly replied: “Yes sir, you are our leader. So thank you for coming to Rome to honour us, even though we are not part of your delegation.”

The former minister said the atmosphere remained cordial throughout the exchange, with both politicians sharing light jokes and pleasantries before the brief meeting ended.

The Vatican encounter between Tinubu and Obi had earlier generated reactions across social media after presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga shared details and photographs from the event.

At the time, reports indicated that Fayemi played a central role in facilitating the interaction between both political figures during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu also later clarified that the meeting was merely an exchange of courtesies at a global religious gathering and should not be interpreted through political or ethnic lenses.

When asked whether the Vatican meeting was the first interaction between Tinubu and Obi since the 2023 presidential election, Fayemi said he could not confirm but noted that both men shook hands during the occasion.

The development has continued to spark conversations among supporters of both politicians, with many describing the encounter as a demonstration of political maturity and civility despite Nigeria’s intense political rivalry.

Fayemi Reveals How He Convinced Peter Obi To Greet Tinubu At Vatican

APC gov primary: Setback for Adeola as Hunye rejects Ogun result 

The victory of Senator Olamilekan Adeola in the Ogun State governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have suffered a major setback following the rejection of the result by fellow aspirant, Abayomi Hunye, who described the outcome as flawed and unacceptable.

Hunye faulted the declaration by the party’s primary committee that he scored zero votes while Adeola emerged winner with 304,055 votes, insisting that results collated by his agents across the 236 wards indicated that he actually won the exercise with 453,765 votes.

The development is already fueling fresh controversy within the Ogun APC and raising questions over the credibility of the primary process.

Declaring his intention to challenge the outcome through constitutional and legal channels, Hunye said the announcement of zero votes for an aspirant who purchased forms, was screened by the party, mobilised supporters and actively participated in the election defied logic and undermined democratic principles.

In a statement issued by his campaign organisation, Hunye maintained that the figures announced by the committee could not be accepted as the true reflection of votes cast by party members.

“We categorically reject any attempt to present the announced figures as conclusive proof of a free, fair, credible, or uncontested democratic exercise because information made available from our party agents in all the 236 wards shows that our candidate had 453,765 votes compared to Senator Olamilekan Adeola’s 304,055 votes,” the statement said.

The campaign also alleged widespread irregularities during the exercise, including intimidation, harassment and restrictions that allegedly prevented genuine participation in several areas.

“It is therefore difficult to reconcile the narrative of a transparent and competitive direct primary with widespread complaints and reports from supporters concerning intimidation, harassment, restriction of participation, disruption of mobilisation efforts, and circumstances that allegedly prevented genuine voting opportunities in several locations,” the statement added.

Hunye’s camp further pointed to what it described as inconsistencies between results allegedly recorded at some local levels and the final figures eventually declared by the committee.

The aspirant insisted that his move was not only to reclaim what he described as his lawful mandate, but also to defend transparency, internal democracy and justice within the APC.

APC Names Fubara, Other Governors As Coordinators For Presidential Primary

The ruling All Progressives Congress has appointed Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, alongside several serving and former governors, as coordinators and collation officers for its forthcoming presidential primary election.

The party also confirmed that it has adopted the direct primary mode for the exercise, allowing all registered party members across the country to participate in the election process.

According to a document released by the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, the direct primary election is scheduled to hold simultaneously in all the 8,809 wards nationwide on May 24, 2026.

The document stated that the appointed coordinators and collation officers would oversee the organisation and conduct of the exercise in their respective states, while also collating results from all local government areas before forwarding them to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja.

“The organisation and conduct of the direct primary in each of the 36 states and the FCT shall be the responsibility of the State Coordinator and Collation Officer, who shall also collate the results of all the local governments in the state and present the same to the Presidential Primary Election Committee in Abuja, FCT on 24 May, 2026,” the document read in part.

The statement, signed by APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, further noted that the guidelines for the conduct of the exercise would align with the party’s earlier procedures submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on May 15, 2026.

The APC explained that the provisions contained in its “Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus Mode of Primaries” would apply to the presidential primary election across the federation.

The development signals the party’s readiness to commence internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with governors and key party stakeholders expected to play strategic roles in coordinating the nationwide exercise.

APC Names Fubara, Other Governors As Coordinators For Presidential Primary