The Aso Villa Chaplain, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, has affirmed that the South West region of Nigeria can not be engulfed in religious conflict, citing the region’s strong family ties and shared cultural heritage.
Bishop Adegbite made this assertion while hosting the executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, led by its Chairman, Mr Akeem Abas, at his residence in Fiditi, Oyo State.
According to Adegbite, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) said the people of the South West are closely knitted through family bonds and long-standing traditions of communal coexistence, which he said cannot be fractured along religious lines.
He explained that religious tolerance has remained a defining feature of the region, stressing that faith differences have never been a basis for hostility among families and communities in the zone.
Bishop Adegbite disclosed that he was raised in a mixed religious background, revealing that his grandmother was a Muslim who taught him Islamic principles, gave him a Muslim name and encouraged him to observe fasting during Ramadan before he later became a Christian cleric.
He said such an upbringing shaped his belief that religious differences should never be a ground for conflict, noting that respect for family, community, and humanity remains paramount in Yoruba tradition.
The cleric added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shares and practices the same belief, stating that his long-standing relationship with the President has shown him as a leader who embraces all Nigerians regardless of religious affiliation in the interest of peace and national development.
Earlier, the Chairman of NUJ, Oyo State Council, Mr Akeem Abas, commended President Tinubu for appointing Bishop Adegbite, an indigene of Oyo State, as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.
Abas described the appointment as well deserved, saying Bishop Adegbite possesses the experience, character, and competence required for the national assignment.
He further solicited the support of the NCPC boss for journalists in the state and expressed optimism that Nigeria’s image would gain greater international recognition in pilgrimage activities under Bishop Adegbite’s leadership
