President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace love and religious tolerance as a pathway to national peace and unity.
Speaking on Saturday at the funeral of the mother of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, in Jos, Plateau State, Tinubu cited his own marriage as an example of interfaith harmony.
The president, who is a Muslim, reminded the congregation of clerics, politicians, and mourners that his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, is a Christian pastor, yet religion has never been a source of conflict in their union.
“I inherited Islam from my parents, but I have never tried to convert my wife to Islam,” he said. “She prays for me as a pastor, and I respect her faith. We must all understand that hate is not an option. We pray to the same God, and we must live in peace.”
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Tinubu’s message comes against the backdrop of recurring religious and ethnic tensions in Plateau and other parts of Nigeria.
He urged citizens to put aside divisions and allow love for humanity to prevail over religious differences.
His remarks were greeted with applause as leaders and worshippers acknowledged the call for unity in a country often strained by sectarian divides.