The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said that while many Nigerian leaders enjoy deep respect and honor internationally, they are often criticized, abused and underestimated by their people at home, blaming this trend on hateful rhetoric and political manipulation.
Mrs. Tinubu made the remarks in a post on her Facebook page on Friday, days after US President Donald Trump publicly described her as a “highly respected woman” at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC.
The annual event was attended by members of Congress, religious leaders and international guests, with President Trump naming Nigeria’s first lady and addressing attendees on faith, leadership and global religious freedom.
President Trump acknowledged Remi Tinubu in his speech, praising her role as Nigeria’s first lady and ordained minister of the Redeemed Church of God, one of the country’s largest Pentecostal denominations.
“Today I am honored to be joined by the First Lady of Nigeria, who also serves as a Christian pastor in Nigeria’s largest church.
“She’s a very respected woman. First Lady, where are you? Thank you. It’s a great honor. She’s also a very respected person,” Trump said.
Reacting to this realization, the First Lady lamented the growing disconnect between the international respect for Nigerian leaders and the treatment they receive from their own people.
According to her, many Nigerians are affected by persistent negative narratives driven by political interests, leading to hostility and intolerance against leaders, even when such leaders are recognized abroad for their contributions and status.
In her post, she said, “Although most of our leaders are highly respected and honored abroad, many Nigerians are unable to cherish what they have because of hatred and the narratives planted in their minds by political funders, which hardens their hearts.”
She also criticized the culture of public ridicule and online abuse of Nigeria’s leaders, warning that such attitudes undermine national unity and collective progress.
“They bully, badmouth, degrade and abuse leaders, and even find fault with them and drag them onto social media to publicly ridicule and ridicule them,” she added.
Mrs. Tinubu stressed that Nigeria’s strength lies in unity, mutual respect and collective efforts, and appealed to the people to support rather than overthrow their leaders.
“Nigeria is built on love, unity and collective efforts towards shared success. Let us come together to support our esteemed leaders and join hands with them to make this country great,” she said.
Her comments came amid renewed international attention to Nigeria’s security situation following claims by President Trump and some U.S. lawmakers that Christians there are being subjected to widespread violence.
In late 2025, the United States designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged attacks on Christians, a move that drew strong criticism from the Nigerian government.
The federal government rejected the designation as inaccurate and detrimental to national unity, arguing that Nigeria’s security challenges are posed by terrorism and crime that affect its people across religious and ethnic lines.
