President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has held a closed-door meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’adu Abubakar, in what is seen as part of his renewed effort to strengthen religious unity across Nigeria.
The discussion, which took place at the State House, underscores the president’s ongoing consultations with key faith and traditional leaders amid growing calls for national cohesion and peacebuilding.
Although details of their conversation were not made public, sources familiar with the meeting said it centred on issues of national security, interfaith relations, and the role of traditional rulers in promoting peace.
Tinubu’s Special Assistant on New Media, Dada Olusegun, confirmed the meeting in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by a short video clip of the engagement.
He noted that the dialogue was part of the president’s “broad consultations with religious and traditional authorities to enhance unity and stability.”
The session with the Sultan came just days after Tinubu met with the Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, another move observers interpret as an attempt to foster stronger Christian-Muslim relations in the country.
A senior aide in the presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the ongoing outreach as “a strategic bridge-building process designed to rally moral and spiritual support for the administration’s policies.”
“The president believes that faith leaders hold tremendous influence over their followers, and their guidance can help sustain peace and stability, especially during difficult economic and social reforms,” the aide explained.
Nigerians online have also commended the president’s approach, describing it as timely amid rising tensions in various parts of the country over religious persecution.
By engaging both Christian and Muslim leaders, Tinubu appears to be sending a clear message that his administration prioritises unity and mutual respect among Nigeria’s diverse religious communities.