President Bola Tinubu has celebrated his wife and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on her 66th birthday with a deeply personal tribute highlighting her support, honesty, compassion and years of companionship.
In the birthday message released on Monday, September 21, Tinubu described Oluremi as his “truest friend and confidante” and reflected on the journey they have shared over several decades.
The President praised his wife for walking beside him with patience, grace and courage through different seasons of their lives together.
Tinubu also quoted the Yoruba saying, “Ìyàwó rere ni adé ọkọ rẹ̀,” meaning that a good wife is her husband’s crown, while referencing the biblical description of a virtuous woman.
According to the President, Oluremi has given practical meaning to those descriptions through the support she has provided throughout their marriage.
He said burdens that were his to carry often found their way onto her shoulders, while thoughts he could not express were somehow understood by her.
Tinubu recalled that during difficult periods when the future was uncertain, his wife remained calm beside him and prayed with him.
He said her ability to understand him extended to knowing when he needed counsel, sometimes before he even asked for it.
The President particularly highlighted Oluremi’s willingness to tell him difficult truths, saying he valued her honesty even on occasions when her advice was not what he wanted to hear.
Tinubu said their family had also benefited from her devotion, noting that their children and grandchildren had grown under the influence of her prayers, faith and values.
He described the First Lady’s influence on their home as lasting, saying the values she had instilled continued to accompany their children and grandchildren.
Beyond her role within the family, Tinubu praised Oluremi for her humanitarian activities and her efforts to support vulnerable people across the country.
He traced her public service activities from the New Era Foundation during their years in Lagos to the Renewed Hope Initiative under his administration.
The President said those efforts had reached young people, widows, elderly citizens and women farmers, while also highlighting her advocacy for people affected by tuberculosis and other diseases.
Tinubu described his wife as someone whose compassion extends beyond ethnic, regional and religious boundaries.
He said he had witnessed her offer support quietly and consistently, including to people she might never personally meet.
The birthday tribute also reflected on the couple’s shared experiences and the difficult decisions and sacrifices they had encountered during their long journey together.
Tinubu said conversations, laughter and prayer had helped them navigate many of the challenges they faced over the years.
The President then made one of the most personal declarations in the message, saying that if he had the opportunity to return to the beginning of his life, he would choose the same path that eventually led him to Oluremi.
He said that through every stage of their journey, his heart had remained at home with her.
The message concluded with Tinubu thanking Oluremi for the life they had built together and the love that had sustained their family.
He prayed that God would grant the First Lady many more years in good health, happiness and joy as she marks her 66th birthday.
Oluremi Tinubu, who has served as Nigeria’s First Lady since May 2023, has maintained a public profile through humanitarian initiatives and advocacy programmes alongside her role as a former senator representing Lagos Central.
Her birthday was also marked by other public figures, including APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, who described her as a compassionate leader whose interventions had reached Nigerians across political, ethnic, religious and geographical boundaries.
Tinubu’s tribute, however, focused primarily on their personal relationship, presenting Oluremi not only as the First Lady but also as his wife, adviser, confidante and long-time companion.
His message placed particular emphasis on the private support behind their public lives, including the conversations, prayers, sacrifices and family responsibilities they have shared.
The President’s closing birthday wish expressed his appreciation for the years they have spent together and his hope that the First Lady’s next chapter would bring her the same comfort and happiness he said she had given to others.