Former Edo North Senator and ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, marking his first meeting with the head of state since 2016.
Oshiomhole told reporters the primary purpose of his visit was to extend New Year greetings to the President. However, the discussion prominently featured recent international recognition of Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu. He referenced an acknowledgment by former U.S. President Donald Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast, where Trump highlighted both President Tinubu and the First Lady, describing her as a respectable, responsible woman and pastor of a large Nigerian church.
Oshiomhole framed this recognition as a matter of national pride. He stated that congratulating the President was important to counter potential narratives from political opponents. He further interpreted Trump’s specific note of Nigeria’s religious leadership—a Muslim president and a Christian pastor as First Lady—as a potent symbol. “This sends a message that there can be no tension between the Quran and the Bible, and Nigerians should walk together as a people for the common good,” Oshiomhole said.
The former labour leader used the occasion to advocate for national unity and collective responsibility. He argued that Nigeria’s challenges and successes must be shared. “If there are challenges, we face them collectively. If there are benefits, we share them evenly… We must run our country together. We have issues, but together we will fix them,” he concluded.
The visit underscores ongoing political engagements within Nigeria’s ruling circle and highlights a deliberate narrative promoting interfaith harmony and national cohesion at the highest levels of government.
