By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
President Bola Tinubu has celebrated his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on her 66th birthday with a heartfelt letter praising her patience, grace and decades of quiet support throughout his political career.
The tribute, titled “I Would Choose the Same Road That Led Me to You,” was disclosed on the official X handle of the Presidency, @NGRPresident, on Monday, 21 September, 2026.
In the letter, Tinubu described the First Lady as a woman who had walked beside him with uncommon courage, invoking a Yoruba proverb he said the Book of Proverbs echoed, that a good wife is her husband’s crown.
“Awon agba so pe, ‘Iyawo rere ni ade oko re.’ A good wife is her husband’s crown. The Book of Proverbs, which you know far better than I do, also speaks eloquently of the worth of a virtuous woman. You have given these words true meaning in my life. You have stood by my side through every season,” he wrote.
The President explained that his wife had carried burdens that were rightly his, adding that in difficult and uncertain times, she remained calm beside him and prayed with him.
“The burdens that were mine to bear often found their way onto your shoulders. The thoughts I could not put into words somehow found their way to you. In difficult times, when the future was uncertain, you stayed calm beside me and prayed with me,” he said.
Describing her as his “truest friend and confidante,” Tinubu commended her honesty, noting that she always spoke the truth plainly, even when unwelcome, and often sensed when he needed counsel before he asked for it.
“I call you my truest friend and confidante because you speak the truth plainly, even on the days I would rather not hear it. After a demanding day, you wait until we are alone before telling me what I need to hear. I have always cherished you for that honesty,” he said.
The President further credited his wife’s devotion for shaping their family, noting that their children and grandchildren had grown under the shelter of her prayers and now carried her values of faith and kindness.
“Our home bears the lasting imprint of your devotion. Our children and grandchildren have grown beneath the shelter of your prayers. They carry your values of faith and kindness wherever life takes them,” he said.
Turning to her public service, Tinubu praised his wife’s humanitarian work, tracing her advocacy from the New Era Foundation during their years in Lagos to the Renewed Hope Initiative, through which he said she had reached young boys and girls, widows, elderly citizens and women farmers across the country.
He also commended her compassion towards persons affected by tuberculosis and other diseases, describing her as a determined champion for the vulnerable.
“I have watched you touch lives quietly and consistently, offering hope and support to those in need. From the New Era Foundation during our years in the saddle in Lagos to the Renewed Hope Initiative today, your care has reached many young boys and girls, widows, elderly citizens, and women farmers across the country. Those affected by tuberculosis or any disease at all have found in you a compassionate advocate and a determined champion,” he said.
The President reflected on their shared journey, describing the difficult decisions they had worked through together over the years and the sacrifices no one else witnessed, adding that laughter and prayer had carried them through many of those moments.
“A long journey teaches a man the true value of a good partner. We have travelled a long road together. I think of the difficult decisions we talked through for hours and the sacrifices no one else saw. Laughter and prayer carried us through many of them. If life returned me to the beginning, I would choose the same road that led me to you,” he said.
Tinubu rounded off the tribute with a birthday prayer and declaration of love for his wife.
“I thank you for the life we have built and the love that has held it together. Happy 66th birthday, my darling Oluremi. I pray that God Almighty will grant you many more years in good health and joy. May the years ahead bring you the same comfort and happiness you have so freely given to me and many others,” he wrote.
