Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has revealed that she felt fear, doubt, and betrayal during and after the 2023 general elections.
In her new 52-page memoir titled The Journey of Grace: Giving Thanks in All Things, released to mark her 65th birthday, Mrs. Tinubu said she struggled emotionally after her husband, President Bola Tinubu, won the election.
“I had a lot of mixed feelings, questioning my readiness and capability to function effectively and optimally as the First Lady of so great a nation as ours. For days, I isolated, pondering on my ability to play the supportive and complementary role without messing up,” she wrote.
The First Lady admitted that after the elections and before her husband’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, she often cried in private. She said she felt betrayed by some close friends and allies who turned their backs on her family.
“Despite the victory, I felt alone, weeping behind closed doors and wondering why I was betrayed by some of those I considered friends and spiritual family, many of whom I had opened up my home and my family to. While for some, God used them to comfort and reassure me of His purpose in all of this,” she wrote.
Mrs. Tinubu also admitted that she occasionally held “pity parties” while questioning her own strength.
“If you say, occasionally, I had a pity party, you are right, I really did. Somewhere along the way, I forgot because the drowning voices of some naysayers clouded my reasoning for that moment,” she said.
She said her faith and spiritual mentor helped her overcome self-doubt and regain confidence.
“Until I was reminded of all God has spoken over my life, all over again,” she added.
Reflecting on the campaign and her husband’s victory, Mrs. Tinubu said the experience took a toll on them both.
“The campaign itself took its toll on us, fraught with challenges only God surmounted for us. We then travelled to heal and get ready for the work ahead,” she noted.
She said while the President focused on forming his cabinet, she began preparing her own official project.
“My programme has to be in sync with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and I aptly settled for Renewed Hope Initiative,” she said, adding that her work would focus on agriculture, economic empowerment, education, health, and social investment.
The First Lady also shared personal details about preparing for the May 29 inauguration.
“Most of the ones made were not what I wanted; I wanted a traditional fabric worn by royalty in the day (Alari or Etu). A good friend of ours brought me a set just barely a week before the Big Day,” she wrote.
She admitted that her husband’s Muslim-Muslim ticket created tension among Christian groups and left her feeling isolated in her church. Despite that, she said faith helped her to stay strong and focused.