Former Kenyan President Describes Tinubu as Father of All

The incoming President, Bola Tinubu has been urged to be a uniting force in Nigeria after he takes over power on May 29.

Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta made the call in Abuja on Saturday during the presidential inauguration lecture ahead of Tinubu’s swearing-in.

According to Kenyatta, Tinubu is now saddled with the responsibility of uniting every Nigerian irrespective of religion, tribe, political and other affiliations.

“The contest is now over and the hard work of building a prosperous and unified Nigeria now begins,” he said as a keynote speaker during the event.

“Upon assuming the office of president, you would be wise to transcend from the tactical politics of an election and assume your role as Nigeria’s vision bearer.

“This will demand a complete overhaul of the adversarial mindset that we as politicians are conditioned to embrace during the electoral process.

“As president, you must learn very quickly to lead those who love you and those who don’t with equal passion and commitment because now, you are the father of all.”

He advised Tinubu to regard himself as the “symbol of unity” and to reach out to the opposition even though the elections may have parted the nation.

The three enemies of nationhood he mentioned were negative ethnicity, religious prejudice, and corruption, but he hopes Tinubu will have the fortitude to overcome them through lessons learned from other parts of the continent.

“You would lose nothing and gain everything by reaching out across the political, ethnic, and religious lines to those who may feel aggrieved by your victory in one way or another,” Kenyatta said. “Please, allow them to exhale and be part of your vision for a greater Nigeria.”

“As your fellow African, I look forward to a Nigeria that emerges from this transition ready to flex and fight for its rightful place on the global stage with both hands,” the former Kenyan leader said.