President Bola Tinubu has dismissed claims that his politics is based on religion, citing reasons why such cannot be the case.
According to him, his wife, the First Lady, is an assistant pastor, and his children all attend church, leaving him at home.
Tinubu, who ran on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, said this at a public gathering, as seen in a viral video on social media.
“Seated right next to me is my wife, an assistant pastor. I don’t dare contest for the Presidency in my house because I will lose the election. My wife and children all go to Church and leave only me in the house,” he said.
This is amid claims by U.S President Donald Trump that Christians are facing persecution in Nigeria, especially under Tinubu’s watch.
Countering Trump’s claims, Tinubu shared on X, “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.
“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on the protection of communities of all faiths.”.view more