President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has celebrated the centenary birthday of Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo, describing her as a woman of extraordinary grace, wisdom, and fortitude whose life has become an enduring symbol of service and virtue.
This was contained in a tribute signed by the President on Sunday, titled “Tribute by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR on the 100th Birthday of Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo.”
The statement reads partly: “Today, I join the people of Ogun State, the South West, and the entire nation in celebrating a century of grace and virtue as Chief (Mrs.) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo attains the remarkable age of 100 years.
“Madam Onabanjo’s life is deeply woven into the political and moral history of Ogun State and the Yoruba nation. As the beloved wife and confidant of the late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo, one of Nigeria’s foremost nationalist leaders and the first civilian Governor of Ogun State, Chief (Mrs.) Onabanjo shared in the quiet sacrifices and enduring vision that built one of the most respected legacies of service and probity in our democratic history.
“She was not only a partner in her husband’s public life but also a mother of wisdom, prayer, and grace, whose kindness and steady presence shaped the values of all who came within her circle. Through seasons of political triumph and trial, she embodied the strength and dignity of womanhood, offering the calm that sustained a family and inspired a generation of leaders.
“On her own, she was a devoted teacher for 22 years who helped to train many children who passed through her mentorship in Lagos and Zaria.”
President Tinubu noted that Madam Onabanjo represents a generation of Nigerian women whose resilience and moral strength nurtured families and anchored communities. He praised her as a matriarch whose quiet dignity and faith enriched Nigeria’s social and moral fabric.
According to him, the life of Chief (Mrs.) Onabanjo mirrors that of her late husband, Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo, one of the nation’s most principled and visionary political figures. The President added that both were united by a commitment to truth, discipline, and service to humanity.
“I salute Mama’s uncommon grace, wisdom, and fortitude on this blessed centenary,” President Tinubu said, commending her heart of forgiveness towards a former military leader whose regime jailed her husband.
He lauded the Onabanjo family for preserving a legacy of honour and public virtue that continues to inspire the nation’s leadership.
“Her century of life reminds us that true greatness is measured not by titles but by the quiet consistency of virtue and service,” the President said.
