President Bola Tinubu on Sunday assured Nigerians of a peaceful and joyous Yuletide, stressing that the holiday season will be marked by peace, harmony, and safety across the country.
The President, who gave the assurance while receiving members of the Eyo group, along with his Wife, Oluremi Tinubu, in audience at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, urged Nigerians to celebrate responsibly, emphasising that the festive period should be free of fear and violence.
Tinubu said: “Well, I am happy for this great cultural remembrance and rekindle of our culture .it is a great honor to come back home to meet our people ready, happy and healthy for the celebration of Eyo Carnival.
“In peace, harmony, love, brotherhood and sisterhood we continue to pray to God Almighty, the coming Christmas should be a joyous one for everyone of us.
“The coming holidays will not be a disaster for Nigeria, you stay in peace, rejoice in peace. Dance in peace, no danger to anybody’s life, everybody is a member of this great family.”
He described the Eyo Festival as a significant cultural celebration, expressing happiness over a “great cultural remembrance and rekindling” of Lagos heritage.
The President noted that Lagos continues to make progress, just as Nigeria is recording steady advancement, adding that the current atmosphere of celebration reflects the nation’s progress.
According to him: “Eko is making progress, Nigeria is making progress. It is a result of this progress we are all rejoicing for this period.
“God will bless you, will bless Lagos, will bless Federal Republic of Nigeria and I assure you we will defeat terrorism and banditry.”
Tinubu offered prayers for Lagos and Nigeria, while reaffirming his government’s resolve to defeat terrorism and banditry.
Also speaking, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has described the ongoing Eyo Festival in Lagos as a unique opportunity to showcase the State’s rich and enduring cultural heritage, saying the celebration reinforces unity, identity, and shared history among Lagosians.
Sanwo-Olu said the festival provides a platform to demonstrate the depth of Lagos culture, noting that societies without strong cultural identity risk extinction.
He added that the Eyo Festival offers an avenue for people to appreciate Lagos’ heritage, in line with the President’s call for a celebration that brings everyone together.
“It’s an opportunity to show the very deep cultural heritage of Lagos, they say the people without a culture are becoming an extinct generation of people so we can use this to explain and for people to see the very deep cultural heritage of Lagos and like the President has said it will be a celebration some sort for all of us. Where all of the various Eyo family will come out in Regalia, in unity, in peace, in celebration of the moment and season that we all find ourselves.
“So what we have done here is to usher in the Adimu which is the most prominent in order of ranking, they have come to pay homage to myself and now to the President so this formally commences the full week of Eyo Festival that will now crown it on Saturday, December 27.
“Officially now the celebration has started from today in and all of them will begin to pull their people together in brotherhood and in sisterhood and in unity.” Governor Sanwoolu stressed.
He explained that the forthcoming Eyo Festival is being held in remembrance of four prominent Lagosians and Nigerians: the first Military Administrator of Lagos State, late Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (rtd); first civilian governor of the state, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande; former civilian governor, late Sir Michael Otedola; and Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the late mother of President Tinubu.
The governor noted that it has been eight years since the last Eyo Festival, expressing satisfaction that preparations have now been concluded for this year’s edition.
His words: “It’s been long eight years that we had Eyo Festival and we are happy that we set in motion to have this year own. And it’s in memory of four prominent Nigerians and Lagosians.
“First Military administrator of the state, late Mobolaji Johnson; First Civilian Governor of the State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; late former Civilian Governor of the State, Sir Micheal Otedola and finally our mother who passed on less than a decade ago, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji who incidentally is the mother of our current President.”
He added that the President’s ties to Lagos, having served as the state’s 12th governor, made the occasion particularly significant.
“It’s historical for us, for me personally I’ve been Governor for six and half years, this will be the first that I will be witnessing. For us his coming home is an icing on the cake for us.”
Sanwo-Olu also acknowledged the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, for granting approval for the Adimu Orisa Eyo to proceed, describing the moment as historic.
According to him, in over six years as governor, this would be the first Eyo Festival he would witness in office, calling it “an icing on the cake.”
The governor stated that the appearance of the Adimu Eyo, the highest-ranking among the Eyo groups, marked the formal commencement of a full week of activities leading to the grand finale of the festival scheduled for Saturday, December 27.
Sanwo-Olu said all Eyo families would participate in unity and brotherhood throughout the week, adding that the President had advised that the festival be considered for inclusion in a formal calendar to strengthen Lagos’ tourism appeal.
Deji Elumoye
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