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By Oscar Okhifo
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has revealed that her local church suffered internal divisions following the decision of her husband, President Bola Tinubu, to run for office on a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 general elections.
In her recently released memoir, The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, Mrs. Tinubu, an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), narrated how the ticket choice unsettled many Christians and created sharp disagreements within her parish.
According to her, the elders of the church were split into two groups; one resentful and distant, the other prayerful and supportive.
The development, she said, left her feeling isolated in the congregation she had served faithfully for years.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow. I was avoided by some, but I chose not to abandon my church. Instead, I remained steadfast, prayed through it, and grew in faith,” the First Lady recalled.
Mrs. Tinubu noted that the backlash underscored the reality that political decisions often expose hidden divides within faith communities.
Despite the tension, she stressed that God saw her through the trial and preserved her spiritual family.
She also spoke of betrayals from some of her husband’s political allies who, despite their long association with him, withdrew support during the 2023 campaigns. “I have forgiven them,” she wrote, adding that her reliance is on God, not man, for reward.
The First Lady has been a member of the RCCG since 2007 and rose through the ranks to become an assistant pastor in 2018.