Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Pope Leo XIV, describing it as both a political gimmick and an insult to Christianity.
In an interview on Arise Television aired on Wednesday, Lawal downplayed the significance of President Tinubu’s attendance at the Pope’s inauguration ceremony at the Vatican, asserting that such visits can easily be arranged through lobbying efforts, possibly even with the right financial inducements.
“Going to see the Pope is not an achievement,” Lawal stated. “It can be facilitated through proper lobbying and influence. If you have the right connections or offer the right inducement, it can happen. So Bola Tinubu visiting the Pope is a non-issue.”
President Tinubu had earlier joined several world leaders at the Vatican City for the historic papal inauguration, where he exchanged pleasantries with Pope Leo XIV. However, Lawal expressed strong disapproval, suggesting that the optics of a Muslim president leading a delegation of prominent Christians and Catholics to the Vatican further validates his stance that the Muslim-Muslim ticket under which Tinubu emerged is unfair and insensitive to Nigeria’s Christian population.
He argued that if a Christian had been chosen as Vice President, they would have more appropriately represented Nigeria at such a religiously significant event.
“It reinforces my belief that the Muslim-Muslim ticket is an insult to Christianity. If Tinubu had picked a Christian Vice President, it would have been logical for that person to lead the delegation to the Pope. But instead, we have a Muslim leading a group of eminent Christians to the Vatican,” Lawal said.
Babachir, once a supporter of Tinubu’s candidacy during the 2023 elections, withdrew his support following Tinubu’s decision to choose fellow Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as his running mate. He maintained that this ticket marginalized Christians and highlighted a growing religious imbalance in the political landscape.
