On Saturday, October 4, President Bola Tinubu called on Nigerians to foster religious tolerance, emphasizing that faith should unite rather than divide the nation.
Speaking at the funeral service of Lydia Yilwatda, mother of APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, Tinubu shared a personal reflection on religious coexistence within his own family. He revealed that while he practices Islam, his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, is a pastor, and their differing faiths have never affected their happy marriage.
“Hate is not an option for us. Love is what we should preach — to love one another,” he said. “I inherited Islam from my family; I didn’t change. But my wife is a pastor who prays for me. There is no conflict, and I have never tried to convert her. I believe in the freedom of religion. We pray to the same God and are answerable to the same Almighty God. Our deeds, character, and love for others matter more than the method or faith we follow.”
President Tinubu also prayed for the peaceful repose of the late Lydia Yilwatda, who passed away in August at age 83, describing her as a woman of profound faith and service.
