FIRST Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has revealed how her husband’s decision to run on a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2023 left her isolated in her local church and created divisions within her parish.
She described the experience as a “bitter pill” that tested her faith and loyalty to her congregation.
The disclosure is contained in her new 52-page memoir, The Journey Of Grace: Giving Thanks In All Things, released to mark her 65th birthday sighted by News Point Nigeria.
The five-chapter book, covering the years 2021 to 2025, includes a foreword by Dr. Folashade Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries.
Reflecting on the campaign period, Mrs Tinubu wrote: “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.”
Mrs Tinubu noted that the episode revealed the diversity of political leanings within 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,” she added.
The APC’s same-faith ticket, which paired Bola Tinubu with Kashim Shettima, sparked a heated national debate.
Critics, including prominent Christian groups, argued the move could deepen divisions in Nigeria’s religiously diverse society. Supporters, however, defended it as a matter of competence, zoning balance, and political strategy.
The last comparable precedent was in 1993, when the Social Democratic Party fielded Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, both Muslims.
Despite the hostility she faced, Mrs Tinubu wrote that she never abandoned her place 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,” she explained.
She recalled that while some members showed hostility, others particularly church elders encouraged her with prayers and support.
“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.
Mrs Tinubu praised her local RCCG assembly for making her feel welcome whenever she returned from Abuja, where she served as senator for Lagos Central.
“I thank my Local Assembly because most of them made me feel welcome and comfortable enough to come to church whenever I was home from Abuja,” she wrote.
The First Lady highlighted her 15-year journey in the RCCG, rising from a new member to Assistant Pastor.
“I have been a dedicated member of my local assembly since 2007, and that would have been 15 years in attendance. Within that time, from the new members class, I graduated from The Redeemed Christian Bible College, also School of Disciples to become a worker, then a Deaconess and later an Assistant Pastor in 2018,” she recounted.
Mrs Tinubu also used the memoir to reflect on betrayals during the 2023 campaign.
She wrote: “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. If God decides to fight your battles and you have won, is there any other thing that God missed and you wanted to fix? Nothing, so let it go.”
According to her, even some of her husband’s closest allies were hesitant when he resolved to run for the presidency after years of contemplation.
She wrote: “He had mused on the idea for over 14 years, and this was where we arrived at a crossroads. Most people I thought would support the idea because of past relationships were not forthcoming.
“After consulting with some of his political allies, he was set to give it a shot. The decision now rested on him to go on or not to. A lot of consultations began.
“Some were favourable, while others were neither here nor there. Some said no indirectly, while others would rather want to see the outcome before taking a position. I realised that whatever good you do in life, it is only God who rewards you and not man.”
Ultimately, Bola Tinubu went on to win the February 2023 election, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, with Kashim Shettima becoming Vice President.