Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in the country, attributing the wave of violence instead to terrorism, criminality, and longstanding instability.
She also recounted her personal experiences with religious bias, highlighting the complexities of Nigeria’s religious dynamics.
Speaking in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network ahead of the 2027 elections, Tinubu responded to concerns about religious killings, stating, “I don’t think so,” and emphasising that the violence cannot be reduced to a single narrative.
“When you have terrorists and people kidnapping for money, and when the world is throwing in a narrative that is Christian genocide, terrorists will have hit on that and begin to attack churches,” she said.
The First Lady, an ordained Pentecostal pastor, shared that she has personally faced criticism and threats due to her faith and her interfaith marriage to President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim.
“There was a Muslim cleric that said I’m a heathen. Most of the people who spoke up for me are from the North,” she said.
Highlighting her nearly four-decade marriage as an example of religious coexistence, Tinubu underscored the nuanced nature of Nigeria’s interfaith relations.
“If I’m going to enjoy my marriage, Jesus has to come in and give me that peace. My husband is a good man,” she added.
While rejecting the genocide label, the First Lady acknowledged the severity of insecurity in Nigeria and welcomed international support in tackling terrorism.
“We thank President Trump for what he did for us. This was the first Christmas that no one was attacked,” she noted, referencing U.S. military action against terrorist groups.
Nigeria has endured years of violence tied to insurgency, banditry, and communal conflicts, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced, fueling global debate over the scale and nature of religious persecution in the country.
