KEY POINTS

• President Bola Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

• The visit came days after the Sultan was absent from the President’s interfaith Iftar dinner and shortly before the end of Ramadan.

• The agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, though both leaders frequently consult on national and religious matters.

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday held a closed-door meeting with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The meeting took place at the seat of power in Nigeria’s capital, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, where the president received the revered traditional and religious leader in what appeared to be a private audience.

Photographs released by the State House media office showed the two leaders exchanging pleasantries in a warm and cordial atmosphere, although the exact agenda of the meeting was not publicly disclosed.

The meeting occurred six days after the Sultan was absent from the President’s interfaith Iftar dinner held on March 9 at the Presidential Villa.

At the event, which brought together Muslim and Christian leaders as well as traditional rulers from across the country’s six geopolitical zones, the Sultan was represented by the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar.

He attended the gathering on behalf of both the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Sultan, who serves as the President-General of the Islamic body.

Meeting holds days before end of Ramadan fasting

The visit also comes just days before the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, during which fasting and spiritual reflection are observed by Muslims worldwide.

Since the start of the fasting period, President Tinubu has hosted several Iftar dinners at the Presidential Villa with different groups of political leaders, security chiefs, and religious stakeholders.

These gatherings have included governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, leaders of political parties, and top officials of security agencies.

At the March 9 interfaith Iftar, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to national unity and the fight against terrorism.

During the event, which also featured representatives of Christian leaders including the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, the president stressed that Nigeria would not yield to threats posed by terrorists.

Okoh was represented at the event by the president of the Evangelical Church Winning All, Stephen Baba-Panya.

Tinubu told participants that Nigeria’s unity remained firm and that his administration was determined to confront security challenges confronting the country.

Although both leaders maintain regular consultations on national matters, officials did not reveal the details of Sunday’s private meeting at the time of reporting.

Observers say such engagements between the presidency and influential religious and traditional leaders often involve discussions on national security, interfaith harmony, and other matters affecting the country’s stability.