Senator Jimoh Ibrahim has praised the first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for what he described as a decisive diplomatic intervention in the United States, claiming her appearance at a high-profile event in Washington has helped restore Nigeria’s international standing and weaken years of damaging narratives about the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ibrahim – ambassador-designate and chair of the Senate committee on inter-parliamentary affairs – said Tinubu’s participation in the 74th National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, amounted to a strategic breakthrough that achieved what conventional diplomacy often struggles to deliver: shifting global perception.
He said the moment US president Donald Trump publicly acknowledged Tinubu as an ordained Christian pastor was especially significant, arguing that it provided a powerful counterweight to allegations that Nigeria tolerates or enables religious persecution.
“This visit has reset the clock on how the world views us,” Ibrahim said. “By standing on that global stage, the first lady didn’t just represent the president; she represented the truth of our national character.”
He described Tinubu’s presence as both a religious leader and public figure as a “masterstroke” capable of dispelling what he called the “religious genocide” narrative more effectively than formal diplomatic protests.
“Her presence as a pastor and a leader is a masterstroke that dispels the ‘religious genocide’ myth better than any formal protest could,” he added.
Ibrahim, who represents Ondo South, said the first lady’s access to such a platform demonstrated a form of soft power increasingly essential in modern governance, insisting that international relations are shaped as much by perception as policy.
“For her to gain access to that level of engagement is a demonstration of influence rooted in religious diplomacy,” he said. “It sent a clear, undeniable message: our president is a man of peace who leads a diverse and inclusive nation.”
He argued that the diplomatic visit would help lay the groundwork for more balanced international cooperation, particularly with the United States, and said Tinubu’s engagement had given Nigeria a strategic advantage by “humanising” the administration and challenging hostile narratives.
The senator added that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained committed to a secular and equitable governance structure – a message he claimed was now being heard more clearly abroad as a result of the first lady’s appearance.
Oluremi Tinubu attended the 74th National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Wednesday, 5 February 2026, where Trump publicly singled her out, describing her not only as Nigeria’s first lady but also as an ordained pastor.
