President Bola Tinubu met with former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, 7 January, 2024 during the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana that took place at the Black Star Square in Accra, the country’s capital.
At the inauguration ceremony, Tinubu delivered a keynote address, in which he praised Ghana’s democratic progress and emphasized the importance of African unity and cooperation. He noted that Ghana has answered the question of whether Africa is capable of democratic and productive endeavors, and that it is time for Africa’s critics to stop asking the continent to prove itself.
Tinubu also commended Mahama’s leadership qualities, describing him as a man deeply committed to the welfare and progress of Ghanaians. He expressed his personal friendship and professional collaboration with Mahama, pledging Nigeria’s support whenever needed.
“My dear brother, I am here to work with you,” Tinubu said, addressing Mahama. “You know you can count on Nigeria’s support at any given time you call on me. We are your brothers and sisters. We shall always be there for you.”
Goodluck Jonathan served as acting president from February 2010 to May 2010, following the illness of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and then as president from May 2010 to May 29, 2015.
Meanwhile, Olusegun Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s president twice, first as a military head of state from February 13, 1976, to October 1, 1979, and later as a civilian president from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007.
Obasanjo has been a vocal critic of the present government, recently expressing concern over the commencement of operations at local refineries overseen by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
