Nigeria’s Faith and Power – A Journey Through Religion, Politics, and Society
In May 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC). A Yoruba Muslim from Lagos, Tinubu has long been one of Nigeria’s most influential political figures, having served as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and playing a pivotal role in building the APC coalition that brought an end to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16-year rule in 2015.
What immediately drew public attention, however, was the religious composition of the First Family. President Tinubu is Muslim, yet his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu – Nigeria’s First Lady – is a devoted Christian and an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), one of the country’s largest Pentecostal denominations. Their marriage, which began in 1987, has endured for over 35 years and produced three children together, all of whom were raised in an environment influenced by their mother’s strong Christian faith.
This mixed-faith marriage at the highest level of government symbolises the religious diversity that characterises Nigeria itself. With an estimated population of over 230 million, the country is almost evenly divided between Muslims (approximately 53–56%) and Christians (43–45%), making interfaith dynamics a constant feature of national life.
The Tinubu household exemplifies peaceful coexistence: the President has repeatedly emphasised mutual respect, stating publicly that he never sought to convert his wife. In return, the First Lady has spoken of harmony and unity, urging Nigerians to rise above religious division.
Yet, the President’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 election – pairing him with Vice President Kashim Shettima, also Muslim – sparked intense debate. Critics, particularly from Christian associations, argued it broke an unwritten convention of balancing tickets religiously. Supporters countered that competence, not faith, should determine leadership, and pointed to the Tinubus’ own interfaith marriage as evidence of tolerance.
As Nigeria navigates ongoing security challenges, economic reforms, and social tensions, the image of a Muslim President and Christian First Lady has become a powerful, if complex, emblem of the nation’s delicate religious balance.
References: Official Presidential biographies; statements from the Presidency (2023–2025); Pew Research Center religious demographics (2020 projection); media interviews with President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Next Episode: Interfaith Marriage in Islam: Rules, Permissions, and Real-Life Examples
(Exploring whether Islamic law permits – or requires – conversion in mixed marriages, using the Tinubu marriage as a prominent example)