President Bola Tinubu and state governors across Nigeria have issued a unified call for national unity and religious harmony in their Christmas messages, emphasizing peace and tolerance as core values of the nation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting religious freedom, asserting that no Nigerian should suffer or die because of their faith. “No one, regardless of ethnicity or belief, should be made to suffer for professing and practising his faith,” the President said.
Tinubu’s message, personally signed and marking his third Christmas address since taking office in May 2023, stressed that “the love for God and the love for humanity” are foundational to all faiths and should continue to bind Nigerians together as “one indivisible and resilient people.”
The appeal comes against a backdrop of renewed international concern over Nigeria’s religious freedom record. Two months earlier, the United States government redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for alleged severe violations of religious freedom, adding diplomatic weight to ongoing domestic calls for greater protection of faith-based rights.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress used the season to reiterate its demand for tax justice, urging the government to ensure fairness and equity in fiscal policies, especially as the new year approaches with planned tax reforms.
State governors also echoed the President’s peace message in their separate Christmas addresses, urging citizens to embrace tolerance, compassion, and national cohesion during the festive season and beyond.
