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Update : Inauguration mass for Pope Leo XIV : Nigeria’s diversity should be harnessed to create prosperity for the people, Says Tinubu
President at Pope’s inauguration mass •Leo XIV pledges peace in the world
Nigeria’s diversity should be harnessed to create prosperity for the people, the President said yesterday in Rome, Italy.
He spoke during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference on the sidelines of the inauguration mass for Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was among the 30 heads of state/government who witnessed the official coming into office of Pope Leo XIV, who was voted as the 267th Pontiff by the cardinals on May 8.
According to his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President said: “If we use our diversity not for adversity but for prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress.”
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria President Archbishop Lucius Ugorji expressed appreciation to the President for facilitating their visit to Rome for the burial of the late Pope Francis and the installation of his successor.
Ugorji, who is the Archbishop of Owerri, said: “You are always there for us. Now that you have come to the Vatican, whenever we have our conference in Nigeria, we will also invite you, and we look forward to interfacing with you just as you were able to do with the Holy Father.”
Other clerics at the meeting include Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
At another meeting with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance and cooperation in a world increasingly challenged by religious and ideological polarisation.
“Our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future. We discussed common values such as peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity,” President Tinubu wrote about the meeting on his verified X handle, @officialABAT.
He used the opportunity to convey Nigeria’s appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and its spiritual engagement with the Nigerian people, many of whom are adherents of the Catholic faith.
“I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world,” the President stated.
The interaction with Cardinal Parolin underscores the strategic importance Nigeria places on faith-based diplomacy, especially at a time when global events have accentuated divisions along religious and ethnic lines.
“As always, Nigeria remains a nation open to friendship, grounded in faith, and committed to building bridges of understanding across the world,” President Tinubu added.
The President’s visit to the Vatican comes at a time when Nigeria continues to play a prominent role in peacekeeping and religious reconciliation efforts across Africa.
His participation in the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV is seen as a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s engagement with the global faith community.
President Tinubu attended the Mass decked in a pair of suits with a tie to match.
He led a delegation including Minister of State Foreign Affairs Mrs Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu, Senior Special Assistant Foreign Affairs Ademola Oshodi, Onanuga, Archbishops Ugorji, Kaigama and Bishop Kukah.
The President told reporters after the mass that: “It’s consistent in the true sense of unity in diversity, and I’m greatly honoured.
“We have to continue to work on it. It’s a work in progress for the sake of our country and the continent as a whole”.
What Tinubu’s invitation means?
Also providing perspectives to President Tinubu’s participation at the event at the Vatican were Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Onanuga and Oshodi.
Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the President’s participation as a gesture rich with symbolism and diplomatic value.
“I think it’s very symbolic and indicative of the great solidarity that he continues to show, not just to the Muslim community, but to the entire Christian community.
“He has shown this solidarity with the millions of people who are of the Catholic faith in Nigeria by attending this Mass, being himself a Muslim,” she said.
She emphasised that the gesture not only speaks to President Tinubu’s domestic vision but also aligns with global aspirations for peace, especially those championed by the new Pontiff.
“This has also shown his commitment to the advancement of peace, not just in the African region, but globally, because this particular Pope is committed to the restoration of peace in Ukraine and Gaza.
“These are aspirations also shared by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she said.
Mrs. Odumegwu-Ojukwu also highlighted the personal connection that influenced the invitation.
“The Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Parolin, actually extended this invitation to President Bola Tinubu on behalf of the Pope, of the Augustinian Order, who had spent quite a great deal of time in Nigeria.
“So he has a personal connection and affiliation to Nigeria, and it was quite important to the new Pontiff that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a country he has a great deal of fondness for, share this very special installation event with him,” she explained.
Onanuga stressed the President’s inclusive approach to governance, noting that President Tinubu’s actions consistently reflect a commitment to religious harmony.
“For me, what the President has shown is that he’s a man who is tolerant of all religions and who believes in interfaith harmony. He’s even demonstrated it by the kind of appointments he made.
“I read somewhere that 62 per cent of his cabinet members are Christians. That shows the kind of man he is,” Onanuga said.
Oshodi echoed similar sentiments, arguing that President Tinubu’s participation challenges outdated global perceptions about Nigeria’s religious landscape.
“It changes the misconception that Nigeria is not a free, fair place to worship for multiple religious faiths.
“It shows that a Muslim President can be accepted and is liberal enough to carry the whole country along,” Oshodi said.
According to him, the Vatican’s invitation to President Tinubu affirms Nigeria’s growing reputation as a country where religious freedom is upheld by leadership.
He said: “It changes the perception that Nigeria has this everlasting sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims.”
“It shows that the Vatican, the papal authority, can see it fit to invite the President to represent the great country of Nigeria and show that freedom of religion is prevalent and recognised by the leadership of Nigeria.”
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The Department of State Services (DSS) and Police have arrested a suspected People’s Democratic Party (PDP) agent, Shehu Fantagi, with about N30 million allegedly earmarked for vote-buying ahead of today’s by-elections in Kaduna State.
Fatangi was picked up on Friday evening at a hotel in the Kaduna metropolis, where he was said to be coordinating the distribution of the funds meant to influence voters in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency election.
Reliable security sources confirmed that the suspect was caught in possession of cash running into tens of millions, allegedly intended to compromise the integrity of the polls.
The Kaduna State Police Command also confirmed the arrest.
Its spokesman DSP Mansir Hassan, in a statement on Saturday said: “In a sustained and collaborative effort by security agencies to ensure that the forthcoming by-elections in Kaduna State are conducted peacefully and without interference from criminal elements, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in conjunction with the Department of State Services (DSS) have successfully apprehended vote buyer in Kaduna.”
According to him: “At about 0330hrs of today, arrested one Shehu Aliyu Patangi at a popular hotel located along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis and recovered a total cash sum of Twenty-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Naira (₦25,963,000) from the suspects, believed to be earmarked for the purpose of inducing voters to compromise the electoral process.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had planned to use the said amount to bribe eligible voters. On interrogation the suspect confessed to the crime and pleaded for leniency.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP RABIU MUHAMMAD psc, mni, expresses appreciation to the other sister agencies for the synergy and swift collaborative action. He warns, in the strongest terms, that anyone, regardless of status, found attempting to undermine the electoral process will face the full wrath of the law.
“The Kaduna State Police Command reassures residents of its commitment to providing maximum security before, during and after the elections, and calls on the good people of Kaduna State to go out and exercise their franchise peacefully and lawfully without fear or intimidation.”
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Bye-Election: Crisis Rocks Labour Party as Obi Directs Members to Vote for Other Party , Abure Says ‘Ignore Him’
The attention of the leadership of the Labour Party has been drawn to a statement by the party’s former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, directing party members to cast their votes for another party in the August 16, 2025 bye-election. The party said that Obi’s directive is misleading, mischievous and delusional.
The party is however calling on all our faithful party members to ignore this malicious directive and go ahead with casting of their votes for the Labour Party and their candidates.
It is unfortunate that Obi has turned himself to an irony and a paradox in the Nigeria political space. He is now reputed to have elevated subterfuge in the game of politics and has of late been crying wolf where there is none. He has turned himself into “Uber” politician, not willing to take a position and stand by his decision. He has now booked a place for himself in the Guinness book of records as a person affiliated to many political parties pari pasu, all in his desperation to preside over Nigeria.
Nigerians should not forget in a hurry that it was Peter Obi that created the crisis in the Labour Party which he is now citing as a reason why people should not vote for the party. Peter Obi and Alex Otti the Governor of Abia State hosted the ill-fated and illegal expanded stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, September 4, 2024. He has also co-funded the crisis all these while and went as far as leading a protest match to INEC headquarters against his own party.
His desperation to control the soul of the party has made him go haywire.
A man that received so much goodwill from the party leadership but turned around to pay them with evil. This is why we have maintained that Peter Obi lacks the competence, character and capacity to actualise the vision of a new Nigeria.
What Obi does not know is that Labour Party is on the ballot and our candidates are contesting the election in spite of all his efforts to strangulate the Labour Party. The party unknown to him has done everything within the law to ensure that our candidates participate in the bye-election and of course in all other future election.
We are therefore encouraging our candidates, members and supporters across all the states where bye-election is holding to be focused and ensure that we carry out our civic duties by returning Labour Party and the candidates elected. Nigerians have come to know who Peter Obi is.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday directed a review of deductions and revenue retention practices by Nigeria’s major revenue-generating agencies, in a bid to boost public savings, improve spending efficiency, and unlock resources for growth.
The agencies include the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Tinubu gave the directive during the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. The President’s directive was disclosed to journalists by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.
According to Edun, President Tinubu specifically called for a reassessment of NNPC’s 30 per cent management fee and 30 per cent frontier exploration deduction under the Petroleum Industry Act. He tasked the Economic Management Team, chaired by Edun, to present actionable recommendations to FEC on the optimal way forward.
The President said the directive was part of efforts to sustain reforms that have dismantled economic distortions, restored policy credibility, enhanced resilience, and bolstered investor confidence.
According to him, these reforms have created a transparent, competitive business environment attractive to local and foreign investors in critical sectors such as infrastructure, oil and gas, health, and manufacturing.
Reaffirming the Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu said Nigeria’s goal of a $1tn economy by 2030 requires growth of at least seven per cent annually from 2027 — a target he described as “not just economic, but a moral imperative,” as higher growth is the surest path to tackling poverty.
He cited the July 2025 International Monetary Fund Article IV report, which he said endorsed Nigeria’s economic trajectory and the need for investment-led growth.
On grassroots empowerment, the President pointed to the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme — a ward-based initiative covering all 8,809 wards across the country — designed to lift economically active citizens through micro-level poverty reduction strategies in collaboration with states, local governments, and private partners.
Tinubu noted that public investment accounts for just five per cent of Gross Domestic Product due to low savings, stressing that optimising “every available naira” is vital, especially under current global liquidity constraints.
Edun said macroeconomic indicators were improving, with a more stable exchange rate, easing inflation, rising revenues, and debt-to-GDP ratios now within range. He described savings as the foundation of investment and said the President’s directive aims to quickly raise public sector savings by reviewing deductions and retention practices.
Meanwhile, Edun said he presented two memoranda to Council — a $125m Islamic Development Bank financing for infrastructure in Abia State, covering 35 kilometres of roads in Umuahia and 126 kilometres in Aba; and a plan to refinance N4tn in outstanding electricity sector obligations.
The electricity debt resolution will be executed in phases, with the first phase expected within three to four weeks under the coordination of the Debt Management Office and other agencies.
According to the talking points by President Bola Tinubu obtained by our correspondent, he commended members of the Federal Executive Council for implementing bold reforms “that have dismantled longstanding distortions in our economy and restored policy credibility.”
Tinubu said the reforms have enhanced economic resilience, restored macroeconomic stability, created a transparent and competitive business environment, and bolstered investor confidence.
“As a result, our economy is now better positioned to attract both domestic and foreign private investment-investment that is critical to stimulating sustained growth, creating decent jobs, and lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
“Our Renewed Hope Agenda remains focused on achieving a $1tn economy by the year 2030. To realise this vision, we must now accelerate our efforts to achieve a minimum growth rate of 7.0 per cent by 2027,” Tinubu said.
According to him, stimulating higher growth is the only sustainable path to solving the poverty challenge in Nigeria. “The recent IMF Article IV Report, published in July 2025, also affirms this trajectory and underscores the importance of investment-led growth.
“In line with our commitment to inclusive development, I recently launched the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme-a ward-based initiative covering all 8,809 wards across the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
“This programme is close to my heart. It is designed to empower active grassroots economic players, using a micro-level approach to tackle poverty. We aim to bring sub-national governments and private sector partners on board to ensure efficient and impactful implementation,” he stated.
He urged governors to accelerate growth by prioritising productivity-enhancing investments, strengthening food security, and deepening collaboration with local governments to address the poverty challenge and ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.
Speaking on savings and investment as catalysts for growth, the President emphasized the critical role of savings in catalyzing investment and growth. “Currently, public investment as a share of GDP stands at a low 5.0 per cent, largely due to insufficient public savings.
“We must urgently review and optimize our savings. This includes enhancing spending efficiency and reviewing deductions from the Federation Account, such as the cost of collection by revenue agencies, such as FIRS, Customs, NUPRC, and NIMASA, etc.
“There is also the need to reassess the 30 per cent management fee and the 30 per cent frontier exploration deduction by NNPC based on the Petroleum Industry Act. We must optimise every available Naira to sustain our momentum and finance our growth trajectory-especially in a time of global liquidity constraints.
“Accordingly, I am directing the Economic Management Team, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to conduct a comprehensive review of all deductions and revenue retention practices, and present actionable recommendations to this Council for an optimal way forward.”
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