Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday refuted the claims making rounds on some media outlets that her 65th birthday fundraiser was linked to President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Debunking the speculations during an interactive session with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Remi Tinubu said the drive is solely aimed at completing the long-delayed National Library complex, noting that donations have already surpassed N20.4bn since its launch last Thursday.
The First Lady highlighted her past philanthropic efforts, noting that she has consistently championed projects that serve national development.
She said, “Let me at this point correct a notion moving around about this fundraising. It is not connected to anything political… So far, we have raised N20.4bn since this fund launched last week and more are still coming.”
“This is not the first time I have raised funds for causes close to my heart. For my 45th birthday, I raised N50m to complete the National Sickle Cell Foundation Centre, which has since become fully operational. For my 50th birthday, I raised N200m for the New Era Foundation.”
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The First Lady’s clarification came after comments by the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who criticised the approach to funding the National Library project.
In a post on X titled “We Are Finished,” Obi said Nigeria should not have to rely on birthday gifts to complete such a critical national institution.
He, however, extended birthday wishes to Mrs Tinubu, writing, “We are finished! I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday. May God Almighty, who has been with her all these years, grant her many more healthy, fruitful, and happy years.”
Reacting to the insinuations of political undertones, Mrs Tinubu reiterated that the fundraiser was a non-political initiative aimed at rallying collective responsibility for national development.
She said, “What is wrong with drawing attention to areas of need and inclusion? Helping to rebuild does not have a political undertone—it’s our duty as citizens to contribute meaningfully to society. I even donated to the post-war rebuilding of schools in Liberia,”
Quoting the words of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, she said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This should guide our actions.
“Like President Kennedy said, ‘Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of what divides us.’”
She noted that the biblical exhortation has also inspired her lifelong commitment to public service in Isaiah 58:6, which calls for acts of compassion and service to others.
Announcing that the birthday fundraiser account for the National Library project will remain open until December 2025, Mrs Tinubu disclosed that the Minister of Education and the Chief Librarian of the Federation are the designated signatories.
She stressed that her role was only to champion the initiative and mobilise support.
