Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, stated Thursday evening that her relationship with anyone who doesn’t know God does not last long.
The First Lady also stated that in nearly 40 years of marriage to a Muslim, President Bola Tinubu, she did not recall either of them raising their voices at each other.
Mrs Tinubu made this statement while hosting an Interfaith Breaking of Fast (Iftar and Lent) at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
The fast was broken by members of the country’s two largest religious groups, Christians and Muslims, as well as wives of state governors.
She underlined the importance of coexistence across religious groups, as well as the responsibility of women as role models in the upbringing of future generations.
Speaking to female leaders during the overlapping Ramadan and Lenten observances, she emphasized personal coexistence as a solution to uncertainty and division, advocating service with “excellence, compassion, and integrity.”
Mrs. Tinubu used her nearly four-decade interfaith marriage to President Bola Tinubu to promote religious unity.
She emphasized personal peaceful coexistence as a solution to uncertainty and division, encouraging service with “excellence, compassion, and integrity.”
“Today, like I said, is indeed a great day. It is a day that God only made for us to gather together, and for women, first, from different backgrounds.
“Since the Ramadan fast was announced and the Lenten season began together, it was like God was speaking to us as a nation.”
She addressed rising insecurity in the country and their religious coloration.
“Recently, we know a lot of things have been going on, and people are trying to target our religious beliefs… And we Nigerians know that most of the time that is not the case. Some of us are married to men of different faiths, and we have lived together among us for many years. I’m almost 40 years old.
“And I can tell you, I cannot remember when both of us raised our voices at each other. Maybe not more than twice in the 40 years; I can tell you that. So we’ve been quite mature and respectful about that. And I believe that’s the best way to live together.”
She called on Nigerians to drop the “entitlement” mentality, saying, “We as Christians have a form of entitlement. Because we have Christ, we feel our grace is sufficient… But you cannot live without having a fear of God.
“The Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. I will deal with anybody in the country with the fear of God.”
She admonished women to mentor the young ones and pass on real intelligence to the next generation.
“We all have a lot of work to do, especially for the young people. You have to mentor them… The old school is still modern… So we have the real intelligence to pass on to the next generation.”
