First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says she has forgiven individuals who betrayed her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the 2023 general elections.
In her newly released 52-page book, The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, published to mark her 65th birthday, the First Lady reflected on the trials of the campaign, her spiritual growth, and the lessons she drew from betrayal and disappointment.
“I do not have anything against anyone…the question is how I did 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,” she wrote.
Mrs Tinubu revealed that some of her husband’s closest allies were reluctant to support his 2023 presidential bid despite his long preparation. “Most people I thought would support the idea, because past relationships were not forthcoming,” she said, stressing that she learned to depend only on God for reward, not men.
Drawing inspiration from scripture, she likened her approach to that of Jesus Christ in Acts 10:38, who went about doing good despite opposition. She cited Jeremiah 17:5-8 and Hebrews 12:2, urging believers to place their trust in God rather than in people.
She tied her decision to forgive to wisdom from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which calls for thanksgiving in all circumstances. “It is not in some things to give thanks, but in everything, both good and bad,” she wrote.
The First Lady, a long-standing member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and an Assistant Pastor since 2018, admitted she faced criticism within her church community over her husband’s controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2022. She described the backlash as a “bitter pill” but insisted it deepened her resolve to embrace peace and gratitude.
“I am at peace, doing all I can to make Nigeria better and greater,” she concluded.
