First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has described President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as a political strategy driven by demographics, saying Muslims outnumber Christians and a southern candidate needed a Muslim running mate to win.
Speaking during a recent visit to the United States, Mrs Tinubu, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, told The Free Press that politics is a game of numbers.
“Let’s face it, the Muslims are more than us. If a southerner wants to run for president, politics is a game of numbers. You have to pick another Muslim. You can’t pick a Christian,” she said.
The explanation differs from her earlier remarks during the campaign. At an APC South West Women’s Presidential Rally in Lagos on December 7, 2022, she sought to reassure critics by saying the same-faith ticket would eventually open the door for a Christian-Christian pairing.
“As regards the Muslim Muslim ticket, this one will set the tone for the future. Sometime in the future, we will have a Christian Christian ticket. What God has done in our land is marvellous,” she said at the time.
The choice of then-Borno Governor Kashim Shettima as running mate drew sharp criticism from Christian groups, some APC members and religious leaders who argued it ignored Nigeria’s religious balance. The decision contributed to the defection of former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara to the Peoples Democratic Party and open opposition from figures including former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.
Mrs Tinubu maintained she ensures fairness to both faiths inside the Presidential Villa.
“I’m a Christian in the presidential villa. I take care of the interests of Christians, and I also take care of Muslims. That is what life should be. We have to respect everybody, irrespective of religion,” she said.
She said one purpose of her US trip, which included the National Prayer Breakfast, was to counter online claims of widespread Christian persecution, describing the narrative as “hype” and “propaganda.” She linked the intensified campaign to the administration’s efforts to ease economic hardship marked by high food prices and a weaker naira.
In a separate interview with The Hill, Mrs Tinubu rejected the idea of a Christian genocide while calling for stronger US military support against terrorists and bandits in northern Nigeria. She welcomed Christmas Day strikes ordered by US President Donald Trump, calling them “a blessing” for the country.
She stressed that Nigerians of all faiths must continue living together in mutual respect and tolerance for national unity.
