President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday reiterated his administration’s commitment to fostering national unity and ensuring fairness among all religious groups in Nigeria.
The President made this declaration during a meeting with Christian leaders at the Headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Jos, Plateau State.
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“I have a mission to unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress,” President Tinubu stated.
The visit coincided with the funeral of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the late mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who passed away at the age of 83.
Speaking at the funeral service, President Tinubu described the deceased as “a devoted mother and humanitarian whose life reflected deep faith and service.”
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Reflecting on his own family background, the President said:
“In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian — a pastor for that matter — and I have never forced her to change her religion.”
He called on Christian leaders to continue to have faith in his administration’s commitment to justice and inclusiveness.
“As leaders, we have the responsibility to manage religious issues for the benefit of all,” Tinubu noted.
On security, the President assured Nigerians that the government is making significant progress in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and farmers-herders conflicts.
“We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and end the farmers-herders clashes,” he vowed.
He also reiterated his administration’s focus on revamping the economy to improve the lives of all Nigerians.
Recalling his past political engagements in Jos, President Tinubu said the city holds a special place in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“When we were coming here, Governor Caleb Mutfwang showed me Ambassador Yahaya Kwande’s house. During the SDP days, we met there to decide the fate of MKO Abiola. Today, I am grateful to be here again as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
In his tribute, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda described his late mother as a resilient woman who “lived on medication for 47 years yet worked tirelessly to provide for others.”
He thanked President Tinubu for attending the funeral and for his confidence in his leadership as APC chairman, pledging to uphold the trust.
Also speaking, Reverend Dr Amos Mohzo, President and Spiritual Leader of COCIN, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his support of Northern Christians through strategic appointments — including Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Professor Yilwatda as APC National Chairman.
Dr Mohzo commended the President’s efforts to address insecurity in Plateau and Benue States and appealed for additional support for victims of conflict in Benue, as well as the safe return of Christian communities displaced from Borno and Adamawa to Cameroon due to insurgency.
He pledged the church’s continued support for the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The funeral service was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum AbdulRazaq Abdulrahman, several APC governors, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume.
Other dignitaries included former SGF Boss Mustapha, ex-governors Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi), Fidelis Tapgun (Plateau), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Rochas Okorocha (Imo), as well as former Speaker Yakubu Dogara and members of the National Assembly.