Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has shared a light-hearted account of his early Christian life, revealing that there was a time he continued drinking alcohol even after becoming a born-again.
In a video making the rounds on social media on Tuesday, Osinbajo said, “I was a born-again Christian who still drank alcohol, I thought since Jesus turned water into wine, it was okay to drink.”
According to him, he believed at the time that moderate drinking was not wrong because of the biblical account where Jesus turned water into wine.
He noted that this mindset shaped his personal choices for a period, even after he had become serious about his faith.
Osinbajo explained that despite holding a pastoral position, he occasionally drank red wine and beer.
“I like my red wine once in a while, and then I like my beer,” he said.
However, an encounter with a Danish colleague in Mogadishu, Somalia, changed everything for him.
According to him, while he served in the Justice Sector of the UN mission in Somalia, he was on his way to purchase beer at a restaurant, only to run into a couple of his colleagues drinking.
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“On this particular Sunday, I was coming back from the Fellowship where I had preached, and I was just hoping to buy two canned Heineken and go to my room and read my Bible,” he said.
“There were many restaurants in the UN compound in Mogadishu. So, I went to this particular restaurant, and as I walked in, I saw many of my colleagues from different countries. They were drinking.”
According to the former vice president, when they saw him, they hid their drinks.
He walked up to one of his colleagues from Denmark and asked why he was hiding his whiskey, and the Danish man reportedly responded, saying, “You are the priest, and we cannot be drinking around the priest.”
Osinbajo said the incident came across to him as a message from God, which made him realise what “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient” meant.
He also stated that since that day, he has never consumed alcohol.
The video has elicited varied reactions online, with some users finding the story relatable and humorous, while others used the opportunity to discuss his public image and past political roles.
