President Bola Tinubu, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi shared a brief and cordial encounter at the installation mass of Pope Leo XIV, held on Sunday at the Vatican in Rome.
The meeting, which quickly gained attention on social media after it was posted by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga on X, took place during a high-profile religious ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.
According to Onanuga, Fayemi was the first to spot President Tinubu seated among global leaders and encouraged Obi to join him in greeting the Nigerian president. “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,” Onanuga wrote.
As they approached, Fayemi broke the ice with a light-hearted comment: “Mr. President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence.”
Tinubu responded with humor: “I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I’m the head of the Nigerian delegation.”
His comment sparked laughter, with Obi replying, “Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation.”
The brief exchange carried symbolic weight, coming in the aftermath of a heated 2023 presidential race in which Tinubu, of the All Progressives Congress, was declared the winner over Obi.
Both Obi and Fayemi, devout Catholics, hold the title of Papal Knights—an honour awarded by the Vatican to distinguished members of the Catholic faith.
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