President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, assuring Nigerians that the country will overcome challenges posed by banditry and terrorism. The President gave the assurance on Sunday while receiving organisers of the Eyo Festival at his Lagos residence.
Speaking during the visit, Tinubu prayed for Lagos State and the nation, and urged participants in the cultural procession, which commenced the same day, to conduct themselves peacefully. He cautioned against alcohol consumption and any behaviour that could endanger lives during the festivities.
“I am happy for this great cultural remembrance, a rekindling of our culture. It is a great honour to come back home to meet our people, ready, happy, healthy, for the celebration of Eyo Carnival in peace, harmony, love, brotherhood, and sisterhood,” the President said.
He further advised revellers to celebrate responsibly. “You should stay in peace, rejoice in peace, dance in peace, no alcohol, no danger to anybody’s life. Everybody is a member of this great family,” he admonished.
Tinubu noted that the progress being recorded in Lagos and across the country was worth celebrating, expressing optimism about a peaceful festive season. “Eko is making progress. Nigeria is making progress… God will bless Lagos, bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And I assure you, we will defeat banditry and terrorism,” he added.
The delegation was led by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who later described the festival as a historic moment and a celebration rooted in remembrance. He said the Eyo Festival, the first in eight years, was held in honour of four notable Lagosians: the late Military Administrator of Lagos State, Mobolaji Johnson; former civilian governors Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande and Sir Michael Otedola; and Alhaja Habibat Mogaji, the President’s mother.
Sanwo-Olu expressed appreciation to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, for approving the staging of the Adimu Orisha Eyo, describing the festival as a powerful display of Lagos’ rich cultural heritage.
“For me personally, this is historic. In almost seven years as governor, this is the first Eyo Festival I will witness,” the governor said, noting that the event provided an opportunity to showcase Lagos’ cultural depth to both local and international audiences.
He explained that the visit to the President marked the formal ushering in of the Adimu Eyo, the most prominent of the Eyo masquerades, and the start of a week-long celebration culminating on December 27. Sanwo-Olu also revealed plans to explore making the Eyo Festival an annual event, saying it would foster unity, peace, and brotherhood in line with the President’s call for a safe and harmonious celebration.
