Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday visited the Presidential Villa in Abuja for the first time since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, attending the 2025 Service of Nine Lessons and Carols hosted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Obasanjo, a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration, had largely stayed away from Aso Rock, including declining invitations to major engagements such as meetings of the Council of State. His appearance at the Villa marked a rare public engagement at the seat of power under the current administration.
According to a statement from the First Lady’s media office, the former president read the Second Lesson taken from Genesis 22:15–18, which focused on God’s covenant of blessing through obedience. Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who was also in attendance, read the First Lesson from Genesis 3:8–12, reflecting on humanity’s early encounter with divine accountability.
The First Lady read the Ninth Lesson from John 1:1–14, highlighting the message of the Word made flesh, after which the congregation rose to sing the hymn O Come, All Ye Faithful.
President Tinubu was absent from the programme. Presidency sources, however, said his non-attendance was due to the religious nature of the event and not an attempt to avoid former leaders.
Obasanjo’s presence comes weeks after he publicly criticised the Tinubu administration over worsening insecurity. Speaking at an event in Jos, Plateau State, on November 28, the former president said Nigerians have the right to seek assistance from the international community if the government fails to protect lives.
He lamented continued killings across the country, insisting that no Nigerian should die because of tribe, religion or region, and criticised what he described as the government’s ineffective response to insecurity.
Obasanjo also argued that Nigeria now has the technological capacity, including drone capabilities, to tackle terrorists decisively, questioning why such tools were not being effectively deployed.
