FACT-CHECK: Tinubu is not the First Nigerian President to be Granted Access to the Kaaba
BY: Arinze Chijioke
Claim:
A post circulating on social media claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first Nigerian President in history to be granted special access to the Kaaba to perform his religious duties.
Verdict: FALSE.
Full Text:
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, President Tinubu travelled to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city. According to Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the visit would provide the President with an opportunity for spiritual reflection, devotion and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and continued progress.
“While in Makkah, President Tinubu will perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people,” he said.
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, the president was granted access to enter the inner chambers of the Holy Kaaba and kiss the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
The Holy Kaaba is a cuboid stone building at the centre of the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, said to be reserved only for visiting heads of state, monarchs, and top foreign dignitaries. The privilege of accessing the chambers is granted strictly under the directive of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (the Saudi Royal Court).
A day after the visit, on November 2, 2026, an X user, Sarki, shared a post claiming that President Tinubu is the first Nigerian President in history to be granted special access to the Kaaba to perform his religious duties.
“No Nigerian President before him has enjoyed this rare privilege. It speaks volumes about the respect, recognition and value President Tinubu commands on the global stage”.
At the time of this report, the post had attracted more than 400,000 views, 1,000 comments and 453 reposts on X, with some users who reacted appearing to accept the statement as true. The claim was also reshared by @Haleemarh_Gumel and labama bagudu on Instagram.
Thomas Philip said, ‘The prayer of a sinner is an abomination before God.. More so, a wicked man at that. If he likes, let him have direct access to hell; how has it stopped terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, hunger, no electricity, bad roads, loans, etc. You guys’ hypocrisy is top-notch!
C Peter said, “No reasonable president wastes their time pretending to be praying, while their country is burning down. Nigeria has physical problems to be solved. It will never be solved through praying and fasting. You will never see first world presidents wasting their precious time there,”.
Verification:
Contrary to Sarki’s claims, former President Muhammadu Buhari was also granted access to the interior of the Holy Kaaba and performed similar religious observances during an official Umrah visit on February 26, 2016. and the.
A report published by The Guardian on February 27, 2016, titled Buhari visits Ka’aba chambers, reported that Buhari and members of his delegation were granted access to the inner chambers of the Holy Kaaba on the morning of Friday, February 26, following an order by the then Saudi King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Further reports by Vanguard, The Eagle Online and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) corroborate Buhari’s visit.
Bashir Ahmad, Buhari’s presidential digital communications aide, said the former president “received this rare privilege twice in his lifetime, first on 16 November 1984, while serving as Military Head of State and again on 26 February 2016, when he was granted access by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to offer prayers inside the Kaaba,”.
Conclusion:
The claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first Nigerian President in history to be granted special access to the Kaaba to perform his religious duties is False. Available evidence shows that former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also entered the inner chambers of the Holy Kaaba and performed similar religious observances during an official Umrah visit on February 26, 2016.
