On Monday, December 20, the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, brought together world leaders from many countries.
However, the event all saw the gathering of renowned religious leaders who gathered to pray for the new administration.
In Nigeria, reports of two high-profile Nigerian clerics taking part in the inauguration surfaced on that same day, sparking excitement among Nigerians.
But the question begging for an answer remains, did Pastor William Kumuyi and Nathaniel Bassey really attend that event?
The visits of Pastors William Kumuyi and Nathaniel Bassey served to underscore the ties between Christian evangelicalism and the incoming US administration.
Indeed, Pastor Kumuyi was invited to Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
However, the man of God was unable to attend after the event was moved inside due to harsh weather.
Instead he spent time at a prayer service for the incoming president, as well as meeting political groups.
His invitation to the inauguration was unusual.
Although Trump broke tradition by inviting world leaders from countries including China, Italy and Argentina, there were no African heads of state on the guest list.
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Outside of the official schedule, the well-known Nigerian gospel minister, Nathaniel Bassey, performed at the US Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast on Monday morning.
The non-political, faith-based event was held ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
However, it was not part of the official celebrations, and the president-elect did not attend.
Why were they there?
In a statement from the Global Crusade ministry, Pastor Kumuyi said he was participating in inauguration-related festivities to “celebrate a return to religious freedom in America and support for other nations in combatting religious persecution”.
Trump is popular with evangelical Christian voters in the US and has promised to uphold Christian values.
In 2019, during his first presidential term, Trump hosted the first meeting of foreign ministers focused solely on religious freedom. In a 2020 Executive Order, he wrote that “religious freedom for all people worldwide is a foreign policy priority of the United States”.
There are indeed fears of what Donald Trump’s presidency could mean for Nigerians.
However, though they did not attend the main event, Pastor Kumuyi and Bassey’s active participation in the events of the inauguration signals hope for Nigerians.
