Fayemi Opens Up on Obi-Tinubu Vatican Encounter

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has revealed that he convinced Peter Obi to greet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May 2025.

Fayemi spoke during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube channel, released on Thursday.

According to him, Obi was initially reluctant to approach Tinubu because he feared the meeting could be misinterpreted by the media.

Fayemi said he and Obi attended the papal inauguration as Catholics and were seated a few rows behind the president during the ceremony.

He explained that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, first came to greet them from the president’s delegation, after which he suggested that they should also greet Tinubu.

Fayemi said Obi was worried that photos or reports of the meeting might be used against him politically, but he encouraged him to see it as a show of respect to the Nigerian leader.

He said Obi eventually agreed, and both of them walked up to Tinubu together.

According to Fayemi, Tinubu welcomed them warmly and joked that he should be the one welcoming them since he was leading the Nigerian delegation.

Fayemi added that Obi responded by acknowledging Tinubu as Nigeria’s leader and thanking him for attending the event despite not being a Catholic.

The former governor said the conversation was brief and friendly before both sides went their separate ways.

Photos from the meeting were earlier shared online by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga and sparked reactions from supporters of both Tinubu and Obi.

Fayemi and Obi are both Catholics and Papal Knights, while Tinubu attended the inauguration as head of Nigeria’s delegation to the Vatican ceremony.

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