My Role In Peter Obi’s Close Encounter, Handshake With President Tinubu At Vatican City-Fayemi

Former governor of Ekiti State, Dr  Kayode Fayemi has explained his role in the close encounter that former LP presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi had with President Bola Tinubu during the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican City in May last year.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Dr Fayemi, who commented on the issue during an interview on Edmund Obilo’s YouTube channel, noted that Mr Peter Obi left his seat to exchange greetings with the president at his instance because he had hesitated to do so citing possible misrepresentation by social media users in the country.

‘Peter and I are Catholics. We were at the Vatican for the inauguration of the new pope. We happened to have had breakfast the morning of inauguration with Cardinal Lazarus and we came from his apartment to the venue of the inauguration and we sat four rows behind the president. We were there before the president came with his team.

The current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was on the president’s delegation and she came to say hello to us. And I felt, well, our president is there regardless of our politics. Peter, please let us go.

He had his concern that this might be misused in the media. I said, ‘Peter, it really didn’t matter. You are Catholic. You are a Nigerian. You are here. Our president has honoured us. He is even a Muslim. He is not a Catholic like you and I. So, we could extend courtesies to him for doing this on behalf of all Nigerians to celebrate the pope’.

Readily, Peter agreed. So, we walked up to the president and I said, ‘Mr President, welcome to the Vatican. Thank you for honouring us with your presence’ Dr Fayemi submitted.

President Tinubu, he added, had however responded and said jocularly that he should be the one saying ‘welcome to Vatican City’ as leader of the Nigerian delegation..

‘The president is quick-witted, you have got to give him some credit for that as well. He immediately retorted, ‘Kayode, what are you saying? I should be the one welcoming you because I am the leader of the Nigerian delegation.

Peter kindly said to him, ‘Yes sir, you are our leader. So, thank you for coming to Rome to honour us even though we are not part of your delegation, but you are our leader.’ So, we joked about it and that was it’ he addedTeam@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079,  08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you