The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has accused First Lady Oluremi Tinubu of favouring Christian communities in her humanitarian programmes, calling for greater balance and inclusivity in the activities of her Renewed Hope Initiative.
In a statement signed by Secretary General Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, the council described recent interventions by the First Lady as “skewed” and warned that selective humanitarianism could undermine national unity.
The council noted that while Mrs. Tinubu recently donated relief materials to victims of the Mokwa flood disaster in Niger State, similar gestures had not been extended to Muslim-majority communities affected by tragedies such as boat mishaps in Niger and Kwara States or persistent killings in Zamfara and Katsina.
It cited several examples of what it called a “disturbing trend,” including ₦500 million distributed in Plateau State in 2023, Christmas palliatives in 2024 channelled through the Northern Nigeria Christian Political Forum, and ₦1billion relief support to communities in Plateau and Benue in 2025—all of which it said largely benefited Christian-dominated areas.
The SCSN argued that these interventions contrasted sharply with the political role played by the Muslim Ummah during the 2023 elections, when Muslims in the North and South-West mobilised support for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket despite criticism of the Muslim-Muslim pairing.
“The Muslim Ummah is not asking for favour or special privilege; we are asking for justice, fairness, and recognition of our equal place in the Nigerian federation,” the statement read. “Hope cannot be truly renewed if it is perceived as selective. Compassion loses its moral power when it appears to follow political loyalties or religious lines.”
The council urged the First Lady to adopt a more inclusive approach, warning that selective interventions could become a political liability similar to the controversies surrounding former First Lady Patience Jonathan.
“The choice before her is simple: to use her platform to unite Nigerians through fair, balanced, and inclusive humanitarian outreach, or to deepen the perception that the Office of the First Lady is an exclusive channel for favoured groups,” it added.
