A former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday, paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Oshiomhole said he came primarily to greet the President, noting that he had not seen him since 2016.
“I came to wish him a happy New Year,” he said.
The former governor also highlighted the recent acknowledgement of Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, by U.S. President Donald Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC.
“Yesterday, we saw how President Donald Trump of the United States acknowledged not just the President of Nigeria, but the First Lady, describing her as a very respectable woman, a responsible woman, and a pastor of the largest church in Nigeria,” Oshiomhole stated.
He emphasised the significance of the recognition, saying, “As a Nigerian, I feel proud. We thought it was important to congratulate Mr. President, because if it were the other way around, imagine what the opposition would be saying now.”
Oshiomhole further pointed out the symbolic importance of the acknowledgement, particularly for Nigeria’s religious diversity.
“Trump recognised that the Nigerian President is a Muslim and that he has a Christian wife, who is also a pastor. 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,” he stated.
“If there are challenges, we face them collectively. If there are benefits, we share them evenly. For me, that is the central message. We must run our country together. We have issues, but together we will fix them,” he added.
