•But Married A Wife Who Is A Christian
For the minister of works and housing and former Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola, life is simple. He is one individual who makes sure everyone is at peace with each other and this is what has played out in his family. Governor Fashola has always been known to be a Muslim, but some people don’t even know which religion he really practiced when he was Governor because he participated in both. But recently former Governor Fashola revealed what many do not know about his religion and his practices.
The former governor of Lagos State Babatunde Fashola described his conversion to Islam and how he coexists well with his wife who is a staunch Christian and and other Christian family members.In an interview with TVC News, Fashola revealed that his father was a Muslim and that his mother was a Christian. He said that when he was a little child, he attended the Cathedral Church of Saint Jude in Ebute-Meta, Lagos,with his mother and practised Christianity. On the other hand, he asserted that as an adult, all he had to do to convert to Islam was to tell his mother that he desired to worship God in the same manner as his father.
Speaking further, he revealed that his Christian wife holds a prestigious position in the Catholic Church she attends and that their differing religious practises have never led to arguments in their family. According to Fashola, his wife and he celebrate both Christian and Muslim holidays.
In his own words, Fashola stated, “In my own home, my father was Muslim and my mother is Anglican.” Prior to telling my mother that I was divorcing her and starting to worship with my father as an adult, I was raised in the Anglican Church at Saint Jude’s Church in Ebute-Meta. What counts, not how you worship or anything else, is whether you serve God.
“So my wife is a Dame of the Catholic Church. she is a title holder in that Church and so is her mother and we haven’t had a religious conversation in our house. She fasts with me during Ramadan and I join her sometimes in Lent. We celebrate Christmas, new year, and Ramadan. I have eight siblings: some are Muslims and some are Christians but we are one big happy family.”
The Fashola family was a very quiet family until their Late Dad, Pa Ibrahim Ademola Fashola became the Secretary to Surulere Local Government Area in Lagos in 92 and 93 during the Ibrahim Babangida Regime and also when BRF became the Chief of Staff to the former Lagos State Governor,Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu. But the name Fashola now rings a bell not only in Surulere but in Lagos State today because of the prominent positions held by his 8 children.
Ex–Lagos Gov and Minister for works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has made a success of his marriage as he has done in all the positions he has held. He has been married for over 25 years and it is still waxing stronger. Despite many see him as a straight, prim and proper man, we can tell you that as he likes to work hard so does he loves to play hard. He is a perfect gentleman to his amiable lover and wife, Abimbola of many years. Rarely will you see them in public display of love but when occasion calls for it, they never hesitate to show it to each other.
The amazing love story between the former governor, and his pretty wife dates back over 25 years ago. Their beautiful marriage which produced 2 children is one of the marriages envied by many because as they have both made success of their careers, so is their marriage. In one of Abimbola’s 50th birthday interview published by this same magazine few years back, she spoke about how she met and married her husband over 25 years ago and they coped observing different religion.
The former, First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola also explained how she and governor Fashola have been able to manage their home despite their religious differences. Abimbola who is Catholic, while her husband, Fashola is a Muslim, has this to say;
“We got married in the Church, the Catholic Church, that is who I am, that’s where you will take me from and that was done. But ever since then my husband has practiced his religion and I have practiced mine. There is no trouble whatsoever. My husband has his own part of the house where he prays, I have my own altar there with my crucifix and my rosary and everything and everyone is minding their own business. When its time for family prayer, we pray. I pray mine to the name of Jesus Christ while he prays in Allah’s name & the children understand all that. My children are baptized and they go to church. When he wants them to go to mosque with him they go to the mosque with him.”
Mrs Fashola also revealed that to get her husband to do something she wants personally, he would ask her to put it in writing so that he would not forget and give it urgent attention. She said it has become important now that everything that she needs to be done has to be documented and passed to her husband because that is how he says he can manage the homefront and the state effectively. Recounting how they met, she said,
I met my husband at age 27. That was at my best friend’s engagement then. I was serving and making sure everybody was okay and well taken care off, attending to people and all that. And then his father saw me and then said, I have a son. And I will like you to meet my son. So, I said no problems, sir. He said good. My son will soon come in. As soon as he comes in he will call me.
When he came we introduced ourselves. We met. We exchanged our numbers and that was it. We took it off from there.He was cool. He looked cool-headed. He was friendly. He had no airs about him. He was a simple fellow. He was already working then as a lawyer. He was at Sofunde, Belgore & Co. He clicked with my sisters too. He was always going to parties with them. He was bubbling with them. I didn’t use to go to these parties with them. My younger sister and him just hit it off and were going to parties and all that. Since my sisters accepted him, I had no choice but to accept him.I guess its understanding that made it work. I will say God and Understanding. Its all about understanding one another and then just playing it right to ensure that you don’t step on one another’s toes.
I know what he does not like and I don’t go beyond my bounds. I know one thing he would not like you doing to him is going to touch his things the way he has arranged them there.
I love to move things around a lot. I love to change the way the house looks, I love to change the look of the room. Thats me. I know once I do that and I go through his own things I am crossing my boundaries and there will be trouble. I wouldn’t want that so I don’t usually go there. So, even when I have people coming to clean the house for me, I usually tell them just touch only my own things, don’t touch my husband’s things. I don’t want any trouble. So, its just understanding and keeping it cool.
-TAYO OYEDIJI
