Former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, marking his first appearance at Aso Rock since President Bola Tinubu assumed office. A vocal critic of the current administration, Obasanjo has largely stayed away from the Villa, even declining invitations to key events such as Council of State meetings.
Obasanjo attended the 2025 Service of Nine Lessons and Carols hosted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, themed “Emmanuel: God With Us.”
According to a statement from the First Lady’s media office, he read the Second Lesson from Genesis 22:15-18. Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon read the First Lesson, while the First Lady delivered the Ninth Lesson from John 1:1-14. President Tinubu was absent.
The visit comes weeks after Obasanjo criticised Tinubu’s administration over worsening insecurity, saying Nigerians had the right to seek international help. “If our government cannot do it, we have right to call on the international community,” he said.
Obasanjo also questioned why authorities were not using available drone technology against terrorists, asking, “Why are we apologising? Why are we negotiating?”