First Lady: I hold no grudge over 2023 betrayals

First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday said she has let go of the pains of betrayal suffered by her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the 2023 general elections.

The First Lady, who clocked 65, made the disclosure in her newly released 52-page memoir, The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things. The book, divided into five chapters covering events between 2021 and 2025, captures her walk of faith, her husband’s presidential ambition, and the lessons drawn from the controversies of the election period.

Mrs. Tinubu stressed that she harbours no resentment toward anyone, insisting she has chosen peace and forgiveness over revenge.

She wrote: “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.”

The 2023 elections, one of Nigeria’s most divisive contests in recent memory, saw President Tinubu win with 8.79 million votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). The outcome, challenged at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the Supreme Court, was upheld.

Reflecting on that period, the First Lady disclosed that many of the President’s old allies withdrew when he decided to run.

According to her: “He had mused on the idea for over 14 years, but at that point, most of those I thought would support him were nowhere to be found. Some preferred to sit on the fence, waiting to see the outcome before taking a stand.”

Mrs. Tinubu, a long-time member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) who rose to the rank of Assistant Pastor in 2018, said she interprets her political journey through her devotion to God.

She recalled facing backlash within her church after her husband settled for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2022, describing it as a “bitter pill,” but noted that she had resolved to keep her heart free of bitterness.

Citing 1 Thessalonians 5:18, she said thanksgiving remains her guide: “It is not in some things to give thanks, but in everything, both good and bad. That is the foundation of my peace.”

The First Lady maintained that her philosophy is to focus on service and forgiveness, adding: “When people stop helping you, it only means their assignment in your life has ended. Man is not God. Look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”

She concluded that her mission remains to live in gratitude, do good to others, and contribute to making Nigeria “better and greater.”