LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has revealed the divisions she faced within her local church following her husband’s decision to contest the 2023 presidential election on a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In her newly released memoir, The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, Tinubu described the episode as a “bitter pill” that tested her faith and fractured her parish at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), where she has been a pastor since 2018.
“My being a Christian did not matter. My local assembly, Redeemed Christian Church of God, was split,” she wrote, recalling how the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fielded a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket that reignited religious sensitivities across the country.
Despite the hostility from some members, Tinubu said she continued to worship at the church.
“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 credited church elders for offering prayers and encouragement during the period, adding: “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.”
Tinubu also reflected on her 2011 senatorial campaign, recalling that her posters were rejected when she took them to church.
“I later realised that we are a church like other churches with members of all political parties in attendance. After that, I never tried again,” she wrote.
The former senator disclosed that her husband’s decision to finally pursue the presidency, after more than 14 years of contemplation, cost him support among some of his closest allies.
“Most people I thought would support the idea because of past relationships were not forthcoming,” she said, adding that some preferred to wait and see the outcome before taking a position.
Tinubu said she has since forgiven those she felt betrayed her family during the campaign, stressing that she has chosen peace over bitterness.
“I realised that whatever good you do in life, it is only God who rewards you and not man,” she wrote.
The 52-page memoir, released to mark her 65th birthday, covers events from 2021 to 2025.
It includes a foreword by Folashade Olukoya, wife of the general overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, and reflects on her personal, political, and spiritual journey during a period of intense national debate.
Tinubu said the experience, though difficult, strengthened her faith.
“He had mused on the idea for over 14 years, and this was where we arrived at a crossroads. The grace factor was evident, and the Holy Spirit continually comforted me,” she wrote.
