LAGOS, Nigeria — In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua, widow of the late Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, on Friday, May 5, 2023, offered some candid advice to Senator Remi Tinubu.
Speaking on the 13th anniversary of her husband’s death, Yar’Adua warned Tinubu to brace for personal attacks from those seeking to gain an advantage in her husband’s government.
Yar’Adua, reflecting on her own experiences as First Lady, advised Tinubu to exhibit patience and remain vigilant in guiding her husband.
“Alhamdulillah, my advice to the incoming First Lady is she should be patient and continuously be patient, if her husband would be like Umaru in ensuring righteousness in his government, then she will be the target because I was a victim of that,” Mrs Yar’Adua shared.
The late President’s wife recalled how her husband’s clean reputation made her a target for those seeking to manipulate the President.
“My husband was not an alcoholic, not a womanizer, and not corrupt, so people started attacking his wife just to make him angry because he loved his wife,” Yar’Adua said.
Yar’Adua emphasized the importance of the First Lady’s role in providing honest advice to her husband.
“So she [Tinubu] should be ready for this and be patient. She should be giving him advice also because she is the only one to give him truthful advice,” she continued.
“All those surrounded him will only tell him what they want. But a wife will always sit with her husband and tell him this is what I heard you should investigate.”
As Nigeria prepares for a new administration, the words of the late president’s widow serve as a powerful reminder of the challenges and responsibilities faced by the first lady, both within her marriage and on the national stage.
