08/08/2026
EXCLUSIVE:
UNPACKING THE 23-YEAR ALLIANCE BETWEEN PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU AND BISHOP STEPHEN ADEGBITE
- By Efosa Duro
Head, Investigative Department, The Heroes Mind Magazine
The Intersection of Faith and Statecraft
In the complex tapestry of Nigerian politics, few relationships illustrate the potent interplay between ecclesiastical authority and executive statecraft as vividly as the bond between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Right Reverend Dr. Stephen Tunde Victor (S.T.V.) Adegbite.
As a senior prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Metropolitan Bishop of the Diocese of Ikeja, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lagos State, and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Bishop Adegbite occupies a commanding position within the country's religious hierarchy. Concurrently, his role as Chaplain of the Aso Rock Villa Chapel places him at the physical and spiritual heart of presidential power in Abuja.
An investigation by The Heroes Mind Magazine reveals that this alliance is neither a recent political calculation nor a casual association. Spanning more than twenty-three years, it represents a deeply entrenched partnership that navigated fierce electoral controversies, redefined inter-faith diplomacy, and ultimately translated spiritual loyalty into high-level federal executive patronage.
1. The Making of a Clerical Powerbroker
Born on August 17, 1968, in Oyo State, Stephen Tunde Victor Adegbite built an extensive academic and clerical foundation within West Africa's Methodism. After finishing his secondary education at Fiditi Grammar School in 1985, he underwent theological training at the Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan, graduating as the best student in English Language in 1991.
Adegbite proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Religious Studies in 1995 as the top graduating student in his department, a Master of Arts in Ethics in 1998, and ultimately a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Ethics in January 2022. His administrative repertoire was further reinforced by executive training programs at the Church Organization Regional African Training (CORAT) in Kenya and the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in Badagry.
Rising systematically through church structures, Adegbite served as Presbyter at Wesley Cathedral, Olowogbowo, and Proto-Presbyter at the historic Methodist Church of the Trinity, Tinubu, Lagos. He eventually advanced to Bishop of the Diocese of Ikeja and Chairman of CAN, Lagos State Chapter.
2. Roots of the Alliance: The Lagos Governance Era (1999–2007)
The genesis of the relationship dates back to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State. During this era, Governor Tinubu implemented governance strategies aimed at bridging state administration and religious leadership. His administration returned mission schools to religious bodies, institutionalized state-sponsored inter-faith prayer sessions, and bolstered the Inter-Faith Committee under the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
Adegbite emerged as a crucial bridge-builder during these years, managing Christian pilgrimage affairs and coordinating ecumenical projects across Lagos. Over two decades, Adegbite publicly commended Tinubu’s interventions in Lagos, citing state support for church welfare, infrastructural development, and inter-religious stability. This administrative collaboration fostered a personal friendship that would endure beyond Tinubu’s governorship into his period as national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
3. The 2022 Pre-Election Firestorm and the "Muslim-Muslim" Ticket
The resilience of the Tinubu-Adegbite partnership faced its sternest test during the lead-up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. The decision of the APC to nominate a same-faith (Muslim-Muslim) presidential ticket—comprising Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima—triggered resistance from the national leadership of CAN, which formally rejected the arrangement as a breach of Nigeria's traditional religious balance in executive leadership.
However, in October 2022, during a public gathering organized in Lagos for Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Bishop Adegbite openly diverged from the national ecumenical consensus. Recounting his 23-year relationship with Tinubu, Adegbite declared:
"God will not forgive me if I do not vote for Tinubu."
The reaction across the political and media landscape was immediate:
Sensationalized Headlines: Media outlets reported the speech under provocative headlines, claiming Lagos CAN had threatened divine punishment for those who failed to support Tinubu.
National CAN Intervention: The national executive body of CAN disassociated itself from Adegbite's remarks, re-affirming its opposition to the same-faith ticket and issuing an official query directing Adegbite to clarify his position.
Bruce O. Ford Lindaikejiblog
