Oluremi Tinubu is the wife of the newly inaugurated president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Remi is also a member of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and previously served as the First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
During her tenure as first lady, she founded the New Era Foundation with the goal of establishing centres for the comprehensive development of children and raising public awareness on environmental health and community service.
Interestingly, while her husband won the presidential election on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, Oluremi is a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
What is Remi Tinubu currently doing?
Remi previously held the senatorial position, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District at the Nigerian National Assembly.
In the 2015 8th assembly, she was among the 100+ senators elected, with only 6 of them being women. Among these were representatives from Anambra, namely Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife, alongside Fatimat Raji Rasaki, Rose Okoji Oko, and Binta Garba.
In the 2019 general elections, she successfully secured her senatorial seat, in the 9th assembly, representing Lagos Central; marking her triumphant third term in office.
Bills Remi sponsored
In the 8th assembly
Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Bill, 2016 (Co-sponsored):
The overall objective of the 20-sectioned bill is to provide a stricter statutory protection for students against sexual hostility and all forms of sexual harassment in tertiary schools by making it a criminal offence for any educator in a university, polytechnic or any other tertiary educational institution to violate or exploit the student-lecturer relationship of authority, dependency and trust for sexual pleasures. This bill has been passed.
In the 9th assembly
Criminal Code Act (Amendment)Bill, 2019 (Sponsor):
This Bill aims to make three changes to the Criminal Code | Retained Act Cap. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. These changes include removing the statute of limitation on defilement, increasing the penalty for the crime of kidnapping, and eliminating gender restrictions in the definition of rape. This bill has been passed.
Lagos State Special Economic Assistance Programme (Establishment) Bill, 2019 (Sponsor): Still in first reading.
Finance Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Sponsor): Still in first reading.
Stamp Duties Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Sponsor): Still in first reading.
Nigeria Postal Services Bill, 2021 (Sponsor): Still awaiting committee report.
Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Sponsor): Still awaiting committee report.
What is next for Remi Tinubu?
In a cheeky victory speech delivered on Wednesday morning, March 01, 2023, Tinubu insinuated that his 62-year-old wife won't be making a comeback to the senate, as she'll be occupied with more wifely responsibilities at home.
"To my lovely wife, Oluremi Tinubu, you the senators don't expect her back, she's going to be my housewife and the First Lady."
Expanding on the topic, Remi added a playful quip, addressing an unidentified person in the crowd, that she would be in the "other room."
The "other room" reference: In 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari, responding to the BBC interview with his wife, Aisha, where she questioned his leadership, said: “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.”
Remi and Bola share a dark sense of humour between themselves, and it sure warms the heart to see.