President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stressed the need for peace in Nigeria, saying there is no place for hate.
President Tinubu was speaking on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, during the burial ceremony of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nantawe Yilwatda.
Tinubu addressing the clergy and all at the event, urged them to champion peace as a vital step toward fostering national unity.
"Hate is never an option for us. I was born into Islam and have remained a Muslim, while my wife is a pastor. She prays for me, and there has never been any conflict between us. I have never tried to persuade her to convert,” Tinubu said.
“This must be an opportunity to promote the unity needed. To the clergy, thank you for the promotion of peace. Hate is not an option. We must love one another. Nobody determines what God has ordained. We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to him.”
During his meeting with some Christian leaders at the Headquarters of COCIN Church in Jos, Plateau State, President Tinubu declared that he has a mission to unite Nigerians and assured Christian Communities in Northern Nigeria of his administration’s commitment to ensuring fairness among all religions in the country.
“I have a mission to unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress,” the President was quoted to have said in a statement by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
Emphasizing that hate is not an option for Nigerians, Tinubu highlighted his personal example of religious tolerance, noting that he is a Muslim while his wife is a Christian pastor
“In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian, a pastor for that matter, and I have never forced her to change her religion”.
The President affirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity in the country, especially in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
“We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and combat the farmers-herders clashes,” the President said.
The president stated that his administration is revamping the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.
President Tinubu described the late Nana Lydia Yilwatda as a devoted mother during the funeral prayers.
“The history behind this church is rooted in faith with deep acceptance in the Lord and tradition. I have been to Jos before. When we were coming here, Governor Caleb Muftwang showed me one of the bungalows, the house of Ambassador Yahaya Kwande. During the SDP days, we met there to decide the fate of MKO Abiola.
“Today, I am grateful that I am alive and to God be the glory to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to come here to bid farewell to the mother of the community, and a humanitarian”.
The chief mourner and APC National Chairman, Professor Nantawe Yilwatda, said his mother was a hard-working woman who lived on medication for 47 years.
“I am here to thank God for her life. My mother worked for twenty-four hours despite her health condition, supporting us and providing humanitarian assistance.
He thanked President Tinubu for his emergence as APC chairman and promised to keep the trust.
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