National Development Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful Peter Obi has urged Nigerians to embrace greater religious tolerance, citing an experience from his recent visit to Indonesia.
Speaking in a video shared by Advocacy for Good Governance on YouTube, Obi said he visited Indonesia to study the country’s socioeconomic development and observed an example of interfaith coexistence during a visit to a sultan’s residence.
According to Obi, he noticed large statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary displayed at the entrance of the palace and asked the sultan why they were there despite his leadership of a predominantly Muslim community.
“I asked, ‘Sultan, why do you have a statue of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in your palace?’ He replied that it was a gift from a visiting senior church leader and said, ‘That’s a very nice statue,'” Obi recounted.
Obi said the encounter prompted him to reflect on Nigeria’s religious divisions, arguing that the country’s development would benefit from greater mutual respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths. He added that embracing such values could strengthen national unity and support socioeconomic progress.
