Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has decried what she described as a worrisome contrast between the honour Nigerian leaders receive internationally and the hostility they often face from citizens at home.
Her reaction followed glowing remarks by United States President Donald Trump, who publicly praised her during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, attended by US lawmakers, religious leaders and international guests.
While addressing the gathering, Trump singled out the Nigerian First Lady for special recognition, describing her as both a national leader and a pastor.
“We’re honoured to be joined today by the First Lady of Nigeria, who also happens to serve as a Christian pastor at the largest church in Nigeria.
“A very respected woman. First Lady, please, where are you? Thank you very much. It’s a great honour. Very respected person, too,” Trump said.
Responding in a Facebook post on Friday, Mrs Tinubu lamented what she described as a sharp disconnect between how Nigerian leaders are treated internationally and how they are attacked by their own people.
She blamed the hostility on hate-driven narratives pushed by political interests to poison public perception.
“Most of our leaders are highly respected and honoured abroad, yet many Nigerians fail to value what they have because of hatred and the narratives planted in their minds by political paymasters, which have also hardened their hearts,” she wrote.
The First Lady also condemned what she called a culture of bullying and online abuse directed at Nigerian leaders, especially on social media.
“They bully these leaders, speak ill of them, demean them, curse them, and even seize upon their mistakes to drag them across social media, ridiculing and mocking them publicly,” she added.
Warning that such behaviour undermines national unity, Mrs Tinubu urged Nigerians to rethink their approach and work with, rather than against, their leaders.
“Nigeria is built on love, unity, and collective effort toward shared success. Let us come together to support our respected leaders and work hand in hand with them to make our country great,” she said.
