Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has disclosed how her church members once rejected her over her husband’s controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, leaving her isolated in her own parish and forced to rely on her faith to survive the storm.
In her new 52-page memoir The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, released to mark her 65th birthday, Mrs Tinubu described the period as “a bitter pill” that tested her loyalty to her church and her walk with God.
She recalled how the Redeemed Christian Church of God parish where she had worshipped faithfully for 15 years split over the All Progressives Congress’ decision in 2022 to field her husband, Bola Tinubu, alongside Kashim Shettima, both Muslims.
“One of such decisions was the unpopular ‘Muslim/Muslim ticket’. My being a Christian did not matter. My local Assembly, Redeemed Christian Church of God, was split,” she wrote.
Despite the resentment, the First Lady said she refused to abandon the church where she rose from worker to Deaconess, and eventually to Assistant Pastor in 2018. Instead, she continued to attend services, drawing strength from supportive elders who prayed with her through the turbulent season.
“But my husband’s bid for the Presidential Office was different, a bitter pill for them to chew,” she admitted. “So the little resentment I witnessed from a few was met with the peace of God.”
The All Progressives Congress’ same-faith ticket was one of the most divisive political moves of 2022, sparking outrage from prominent Christian groups who warned it could deepen Nigeria’s religious fault lines. But supporters countered that competence, zoning and electoral arithmetic mattered more than religion.
Looking back, Mrs Tinubu said she learned to forgive both political allies who betrayed her husband and church members who distanced themselves during the heated campaigns.
“I do not have anything against anyone…the question is how did I not feel the betrayal anymore? I knew the grace factor was evident, and the Holy Spirit continually comforted me. Never to avenge myself, assuring me that it is God’s prerogative. Mine is to thank Him for fighting for us,” she wrote.
The First Lady revealed that the episode drew her closer to God, citing scripture as her anchor during the trials. She said a revelation from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks” helped her let go of bitterness and see her political battles through the eyes of faith.
Now looking back as the wife of Nigeria’s President, Mrs Tinubu said she has chosen peace over resentment:
“Letting go is what I did; doing good is what matters most. Like my Saviour Jesus Christ in Acts 10:38… I am at peace, doing all I can to make Nigeria better and greater.”
