Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has shared the personal experience that led him to stop drinking alcohol, despite previously believing it was compatible with his Christian faith.
Speaking at a recent edition of the Biazo Leadership and Empowerment Summit in Maryland, United States, Osinbajo explained that he once saw no conflict between his religious convictions and moderate alcohol consumption. He referenced the biblical account of Jesus turning water into wine as part of his reasoning.
According to him, he occasionally drank red wine and beer and had intended to continue doing so, even after becoming a born-again Christian.
However, his perspective changed during a visit to Mogadishu, Somalia, where he had gone to preach at a fellowship.
Osinbajo recounted that after delivering a sermon—having been assigned as the fellowship’s pastor, he planned to relax later with a couple of bottles of beer. On his way back, he stopped at a restaurant within the United Nations compound, where he encountered colleagues from different countries.
He said the atmosphere shifted immediately upon his arrival.
“As soon as I walked in, they all started hiding their drinks,” he recalled. Curious, he approached one of his colleagues, a Danish national, and asked why they were concealing their beverages.
“The response I got was simple: ‘You know you are the priest,’” he said.
That moment, Osinbajo noted, prompted deep reflection about his role and the expectations associated with it. He said he became convinced that, although certain actions might be permissible, they may not always be appropriate given one’s position and influence.
“It became very clear to me that while all things may be lawful, not all things are expedient,” he said.
Osinbajo added that from that day onward, he made a firm decision to abstain from alcohol—a commitment he has maintained ever since.
Credit: TheCable
