President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that he almost reached out to the former Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to help him locate the Alaafin of Oyo-designate, who had returned to Canada before his formal coronation in Oyo Kingdom, Nigeria.
Tinubu stated this when he received the newly installed 46th Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, during a visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday.
The President recalled how he was worried when the Canada-based Prince Owoade returned to the North American country ahead of his coronation, and he contemplated reaching out to the Prime Minister to locate the Alaafin for him.
“You created anxiety at the time the nomination was announced and your return to Canada. I’d wanted to call the President (Prime Minister); sincerely, I wanted to call the President of Canada. We were together in Brazil when he told me he’d not run for office again.
“I wanted to ask him whether he can help me locate my Alaafin, but I was later assured that you went to sign off,“ the President said.
He lauded the new monarch for demonstrating character and discipline, and for uplifting the culture of the Yoruba in Canada.
“I’m glad that you’re a beacon of hope to the rest of our race; the good name you left behind in Canada, how you represented our race as a hardworking engineer who wants to develop this country. It’s a good thing that you’re back, you’re crowned, and you came here first. I really appreciate that,” the president said.
Tinubu emphasised that the culture, peace and stability of the nation required inclusiveness, noting that governing the nation was not a job to be done alone.