Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has shared a light-hearted account of an unusual encounter that led him to stop consuming alcohol.
In a video circulating on social media on Tuesday, Osinbajo recounted the incident that influenced his decision to quit drinking entirely.
The former vice president explained that, despite being a pastor, he occasionally enjoyed red wine and beer.
“I like my red wine once in a while, and then I like my beer,” he said.
Osinbajo revealed that the turning point came during his time with the United Nations Mission in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he worked in the justice sector.
According to him, after preaching at a fellowship service on a Sunday, he decided to buy two cans of Heineken to take back to his room while reading his Bible.
“On this particular Sunday, I was coming back from the fellowship where I had preached, and I was just hoping to buy two cans of Heineken and go to my room to read my Bible,” he said.
He explained that, upon entering one of the restaurants inside the UN compound, he met several colleagues from different countries drinking together.
“There were many restaurants in the UN compound in Mogadishu. So, I went to this particular restaurant, and as I walked in, I saw many of my colleagues from different countries. They were drinking,” he added.
Osinbajo said the atmosphere suddenly changed when his colleagues noticed his presence and began hiding their drinks. Curious, he asked a Danish colleague why he was concealing his whiskey.
The colleague replied, “You are the priest, and we cannot be drinking around the priest.”
According to Osinbajo, the moment struck him deeply and made him reflect on the biblical passage: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient.”
The immediate past Vice President said he interpreted the incident as a message from God and decided, from that day, never to consume alcohol again.
