Former President Olusegun Obasanjo made an unexpected visit to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Monday, June 17, to extend Sallah greetings.
The meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa, was revealed by the First Lady’s media aide, Busola Kukoyi, through a social media post on X (formerly Twitter).
This surprising development comes just days after Obasanjo was spotted wearing a cap bearing President Bola Tinubu’s insignia at an event attended by African dignitaries. The former president’s recent actions have raised eyebrows, given the well-known political differences between him and the current administration.
During the 2023 presidential election, Obasanjo publicly supported Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, declining to endorse Tinubu despite the latter’s visit to Obasanjo’s residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The former president has also been critical of the Tinubu administration’s handling of ongoing reforms and its approach to the coup d’etat in Niger Republic.
The meeting between Obasanjo and the First Lady has sparked speculation about a potential thawing of relations between the former president and the current administration. Both Obasanjo and Tinubu hail from Nigeria’s Southwest geopolitical zone but have historically belonged to different political camps.
As news of this meeting circulates, political observers are keenly watching for any signs of a shift in the dynamic between these two influential figures in Nigerian politics. The implications of this unexpected Sallah visit remain to be seen, but it has certainly captured the attention of the nation.