The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says her husband’s decision to run on a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2023 left her isolated in her local church, describing the episode as a “bitter pill” that split her parish and tested her faith.
She made the disclosure in her new 52-page book, The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, made available to The PUNCH to mark her 65th birthday.
The five-chapter memoir is arranged by year from 2021 to 2025, with a foreword by Dr. Folashade Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.
She recounted, “We kept moving forward with hope in God, and each campaign was interesting despite the fact that all the odds were stacked against him.
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.”
The Redeemed Christian Church of God is one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal denominations with sprawling parishes nationwide and across the globe.
She noted that the division only proved the diversity of political leanings in the church.
I later realised that we are a church like other churches with members of all political parties in attendance.
“I experienced this during my campaign in 2011 for the Senate, when I took my campaign posters to the church, and it was rebuffed.
“After that, I never tried again.
But my husband’s bid for the Presidential Office was different, a bitter pill for them to chew,” Mrs Tinubu added.
The ruling All Progressives Congress’ same-faith ticket in 2022 revived one of Nigeria’s most sensitive political arguments at the time.
Critics, including prominent Christian groups, warned the move could inflame divisions in the religiously diverse country.
However, Tinubu’s supporters countered that competence, zoning and coalition arithmetic should decide the ticket.
The last comparable precedent was 1993, when the SDP fielded Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.
The First Lady revealed that despite the animosity she faced due to her husband’s decision, she did not change places of worship.
“But I kept attending church, and I thank God I have grown from being a baby to a mature Christian.
“So the little resentment I witnessed from a few was met with the peace of God,” Mrs Tinubu wrote.
According to her, some members of the parish provided her succour despite the antagonism.
“All the same, despite a few who showed hostility, many were encouraging, especially our elders, who would encourage me from time to time with prayers.
“To this end, I am grateful to God and everyone of them, especially those of them who lived to watch the presidential inauguration when the time came. I thank the pastorate also for making arrangements for them,” she added.
