Fayemi Reveals How He Convinced Obi to Greet Tinubu at Vatican Event

Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has disclosed how he persuaded Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to greet President Bola Tinubu during the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May.

Speaking during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube programme, Fayemi said Obi initially hesitated because he feared the handshake could be twisted by the media and interpreted politically.

The meeting first became public after presidential aide Bayo Onanuga shared photos from the event on X, explaining that Fayemi had encouraged Obi to accompany him in greeting the president during the papal inauguration ceremony.

Providing more details about the encounter, Fayemi explained that both he and Obi attended the Vatican event as devoted Catholics. According to him, they had breakfast earlier that day with Cardinal Lazarus before heading to the inauguration venue, where they were seated a few rows behind Tinubu and his delegation.

Fayemi said the moment began when Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Bianca Ojukwu, approached them to exchange greetings on behalf of the presidential delegation. He then suggested that they should also extend courtesy to the president despite political differences.

However, Obi reportedly expressed concern that photographs or reports of the interaction might be misrepresented publicly. Fayemi said he reassured him that the gesture was beyond politics and was simply a matter of respect for the office of the president and the significance of the occasion.

Eventually, Obi agreed and both men walked over to Tinubu together. Fayemi recalled welcoming the president to the Vatican and thanking him for attending the historic event on behalf of Nigerians.

According to Fayemi, Tinubu responded humorously, saying he should be the one welcoming them since he was leading the Nigerian delegation.

Obi also acknowledged Tinubu’s position during the exchange, thanking him for representing Nigeria at the Vatican despite the political rivalry between them.

Fayemi described the interaction as friendly and respectful, adding that the brief conversation ended there before the president continued with other official engagements linked to the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.