Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, at the weekend, met with the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was part of President Tinubu’s ongoing consultations with global leaders, especially within the ECOWAS subregion, aimed at tackling insecurity in Nigeria and across West Africa.
It was also gathered from the Presidential Villa that the effort forms part of the President’s plan to work with relevant stakeholders to strengthen regional unity, following recent threats by United States President Donald Trump to invade Nigeria if the Federal Government fails to end attacks against Christian communities.
The President had earlier called on the global community to partner with Nigeria in addressing the security challenges confronting the country.
Recall that Julius Maada Bio, the Sierra Leonean leader, is the immediate successor of President Tinubu as Chairman of ECOWAS.
The Nigerian leader, in response to the recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged attacks on Christians, assured that his administration would embark on broad consultations both within and outside Nigeria.
He stated that Nigeria remains firmly a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
According to him, his administration has maintained open and active engagement with both Christian and Muslim leaders and continues to address security challenges affecting citizens across all faiths and regions.
He dismissed the characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant, adding that “it does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
According to him, “religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.
Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
President Tinubu also assured that his administration will remain “committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
As part of the ongoing consultation, the President had on Friday met behind closed doors with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which was also attended by Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, it was gathered, is part of the ongoing consultation efforts by the President, who has declared war against terrorism.
The meeting followed earlier meeting the President had with Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, as part of the efforts to strengthen social cohesion and build inter faith unity.
Olusegun Dada, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, who posted the videos of Tinubu’s meetings with both leaders on X, confirmed that the engagement was part of the ongoing consultations with religious and traditional leaders to promote dialogue and strengthen social trust across the country.
Mohamed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation had earlier revealed that the President is adopting multiple consultation approach to tackling insecurity.
He disclosed that the President’s consultations with key moral and cultural leaders will help to consolidate peace, enhance national integration, and tackle emerging social challenges.
The Sultan, who serves as head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, is also the spiritual leader of the Muslim community in the country.
