The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu’s Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia aimed to court northern voters ahead of the 2027 election.
It was reported that Oshodi, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, said the trip should be viewed through a religious and national lens.
The presidential aide said the President’s access to the Holy Kaaba was significant to Muslims across the country and not just a regional matter.
“You know public opinion is far from being monolithic. One section of the population cannot come and say, ‘This is for votes from the North’.
“I believe we should look at it from a different aspect. This is a huge significance for Nigeria. This is the first South-West leader to have been given that honour. How do the South-West Nigerians see that?
“So, it is not just a Northern or Southern thing. It is a Muslim thing. And the Muslims have cherished this opportunity,” he said.
Oshodi noted that the President had performed the Umrah and the Hajj several times in his life, insisting the trip was not politically motivated.
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“He was given this rare privilege because he is the leader of the largest Muslim country in Africa. It is just a great opportunity. I don’t think we should really get carried away with the timing,” he said.
He added that the President was seeking divine guidance to lead the country and succeed in the coming election.
“We can’t continue to politicise everything,” he said.
The presidential aide urged other candidates to seek divine help as well.
“I suggest other presidential candidates should also go out to seek God. Whether they have to go to Jerusalem or to Mecca themselves. We should not overemphasise somebody seeking God,” he said.
Tinubu had, in a post on 𝕏 on Monday, announced the end of his visit, saying he and his delegation were granted access to the Holy Kaaba, where they prayed and performed the Umrah.
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