Tinubu Pays Tribute To Jesse Jackson, Reflects On Shared History

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid an emotional tribute to civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson, describing him as a servant-leader whose lifelong struggle for justice reshaped America and inspired democratic movements across the world.

In a message released on Tuesday, the president said he joined “the rest of the world and the people of the United States of America to mourn the passing of civil rights icon and renowned Baptist preacher,” who died at the age of 84.

Tinubu described Jackson as a towering figure who helped carry forward the unfinished work of Martin Luther King Jr., dedicating his life to the dignity of Black people, the oppressed, and the voiceless.

“Reverend Jackson was a servant-leader who captured the global imagination as a young activist… fighting for the dignity of black people, the oppressed, and the voiceless in the United States and across the world,” he said.

The president recalled his personal connection to the late activist, reflecting on his years as a student in Chicago in the 1970s, where he observed Jackson’s work up close.

“I witnessed firsthand how, as a faithful servant of God and humanity, he pointed the arc of American society to the great promise of the American dream,” the nation’s leader added.

Tinubu also credited Jackson’s political activism for helping create the conditions that made the historic emergence of Barack Obama possible, noting that the civil rights leader had challenged racial barriers decades earlier through his presidential campaigns.

“When Barack Obama broke the glass ceiling as the first Black President in America, it was Reverend Jackson who first inflicted the cracks on the ceiling in 1984 and again in 1988,” Nigeria’s number one citizen disclosed.

Highlighting Jackson’s global impact, the Nigerian leader praised his opposition to apartheid and his role in the campaign to free Nelson Mandela, as well as other detained leaders of the African National Congress.

The president noted that Jackson’s commitment extended to Nigeria, where he supported democratic struggles during military rule and later served as a special envoy appointed by Bill Clinton to Nigeria and Africa in the late 1990s.

According to him, the late cleric helped promote civil liberties across the continent and strengthened Africa’s voice in Washington by building ties with the Congressional Black Caucus.

“Reverend Jackson lived a remarkable life as a strong voice for the universal ideals of justice and human progress,” Tinubu said, adding that even in old age and illness, “his voice still resonated, urging us never to stop fighting for what is right and never to lose faith in humanity.”

The president rounded off his tribute with a prayer, saying: “May the great and noble soul of Reverend Jackson find eternal rest.”