President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, October 4, used the solemn occasion of the funeral service for Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to issue a powerful call for national unity and religious tolerance among Nigerians. Speaking in Jos, the Plateau State capital, President Tinubu urged citizens to set aside religious and ethnic differences, stressing the importance of peace and cohesion for the nation's progress and growth.

Highlighting the critical need for harmonious coexistence, the President shared a personal reflection on religious diversity within his own family. “I inherited Islam from my family, I didn’t change; but my wife is a pastor and she prays for me at all times,” Tinubu stated. “I have never convinced or converted her; I believe in the freedom of religion. We are praying and answerable to the same Almighty God. We will account to Him our deeds and character. So, our love to others is what matters; we must learn to live together as one people.” He further articulated, “Hate is not an option for us. Love is what we should preach, that we should love one another. Nobody determines what God has ordained. God's ordained actions and prophesies matter. We are praying to the same God. We are answerable to the same Almighty God. We will answer to Him, our deeds, our character, and our love for our fellow beings are what truly matter, not the method or faith of our being.”

The funeral service was also a moment for tributes to Nana Lydia Yilwatda, who passed away at the age of 83 in August and was interred in Dungung, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda eulogized his mother as a dedicated, committed, and loving wife who lived a life of service to humanity. “She was a strong, loyal, and determined woman; she led an exemplary lifestyle full of sacrifice and humility. My parents, particularly my mother lived for others; whatever I give her, she shares it with our neighbours. That is the woman that we are celebrating today,” he remarked, extending gratitude to President Tinubu, governors, members of the National Assembly, the Plateau State government, and all Nigerians for their support during his family's grief.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, thanked President Tinubu for his presence despite a tight schedule. Mutfwang acknowledged insecurity as a significant setback for Plateau State's growth and assured that his administration had implemented measures to promote peaceful coexistence and tranquility within the state.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu's attendance at the funeral provided an explanation for his absence from a scheduled visit to Abia State on Friday. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, represented the President in Abia, informing the public that Tinubu prioritized attending the burial ceremony of Nana Lydia Yilwatda. The President, through Umahi, praised Governor Alex Otti for several completed projects in Abia, including Port Harcourt Road, Ohanku Road, Ajiwe Street, Ndoki Road by East, Peoples Road, Gabriel Nwosu Road, Nkoro Road, Umuatako Road, and Michael Okpara Auditorium, declaring that Otti was successfully recovering Abia State.

In a related development that stirred controversy, two female journalists working with Jay FM in Jos, Ruth Marcus and Keshia Jang, were reportedly arrested by security agents during the funeral service. The journalists were said to have filmed an altercation involving a cleric and security operatives, and the video, posted on the station’s social media handles, quickly went viral. Jay FM announced on its Facebook page that the journalists were missing, and the organization had not determined where they were being held, stating that management was trying to verify their location and which security agencies were involved. The radio station affirmed its decision to post the video.