Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) has described United States President Donald Trump’s public praise of Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, as a diplomatic win for Nigeria and a strong signal of religious harmony under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He spoke to State House Correspondents on Friday after visiting President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Oshiomhole, a former Edo State governor, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said his visit was to extend New Year greetings to the President and to congratulate him over what he described as Trump’s glowing tribute to the First Lady during a recent public event in the United States.
“I came to greet Mr. President. I have not seen him in 2026; we wish him a happy New Year. But also, very importantly, yesterday (Thursday) we saw how the most powerful man, President Donald Trump of the United States of America, acknowledged not just the First Lady of Nigeria, but described her as a very respectable woman, a very responsible woman, and a pastor of the largest church in Nigeria, and he invited her to stand up for recognition,” Oshiomhole said.
The senator said the moment was a source of national pride, noting the applause that followed Trump’s remarks and stressing that the recognition placed Nigeria in a positive global light.
“If it was the other way around, imagine what the opposition would have been saying now. He said Nigeria’s First Lady is here. She’s a Christian, but also a Christian pastor, a woman that commands respect, a responsible and respectable woman. So, congratulations,” he added.
Oshiomhole further interpreted the gesture as symbolic of Nigeria’s religious coexistence, saying it underscored harmony between Christians and Muslims in the country.
“Trump understands that the Nigerian President is a Muslim, but he now celebrates the fact that he has a Christian wife who is also a pastor of the largest church in Nigeria. So, there can be no tension between the Quran and the Bible, and that, for me, is a merit to all Nigerians,” he said.
Calling for unity and optimism, the APC stalwart urged Nigerians to focus on addressing national challenges collectively.
“We mustn’t run down our country. We have issues together, we will fix them, and they are being fixed,” Oshiomhole added.
