Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has offered clarity on the much-discussed meeting between former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Vatican.
In a Facebook post titled “The Inside Story: How It All Went Down in Rome,” published on May 22, 2025, Bianca recounted the events during the installation mass of Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Basilica. According to her, after spotting Obi and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi already seated, she went over to greet them. The pair then chose to accompany her to pay their respects to the President.
“The President welcomed them warmly and with good humor. After the brief exchange, they both returned to their seats. Thankfully, this time there was no ‘Scusi’ moment like during Pope Francis’ funeral mass, where a priest had to call politicians to order. Everything went smoothly and respectfully,” she wrote.
Bianca criticized the overblown reaction on social media, saying the simple gesture of greeting the President—an elder and national leader—had been unnecessarily politicized and misinterpreted.
“I was honestly surprised by the uproar. A polite greeting, deeply rooted in African tradition, has been twisted into political drama. Many just wanted to create a mountain out of a molehill. Let’s all calm down,” she urged.
Bianca praised the Vatican event as a unifying experience and emphasized the symbolic importance of a Muslim president attending a significant Catholic mass—a moment she said showcased religious harmony and coexistence.
She also spoke admiringly of President Tinubu’s composure and endurance throughout the hours-long mass under the hot sun, noting that he refused offers of a sunshade and remained engaged throughout the ceremony. After the mass, Tinubu took time to interact warmly with Nigerian priests and seminarians, posing for selfies and greeting everyone who approached him.
Bianca humorously noted that Tinubu’s stylish appearance in a Western suit made a strong impression, as many Nigerians are more accustomed to seeing him in traditional attire.
Reflecting on the overall experience, she shared a personal anecdote about someone fainting from the heat during the mass and praised Seyi Tinubu for rushing to help with water before emergency services arrived—contrasting the quiet compassion of the moment with the trend of recording distress situations for social media.
She concluded her post by highlighting the dignity and discipline of the Nigerian delegation, the spiritual weight of the occasion, and her own excitement at capturing key moments with her phone camera.
“Vatican ’25 has been a profound experience. I feel truly blessed to have witnessed such a historic moment,” she wrote, signing off with a nod to the famous music video credit: “Ms B shot it!”