How a quiet Sunday in Mogadishu became the turning point that ended Yemi Osinbajo’s relationship with alcohol.

It was meant to be an ordinary Sunday—preach, pick up two cold Heinekens, return to his room, and read his Bible. But in a crowded restaurant in Mogadishu, Yemi Osinbajo encountered a moment that would permanently change his lifestyle.

The former Vice President, who was then serving as a United Nations legal officer and pastor, shared the experience in a video that has since gone viral across social media platforms.
“I like my red wine once in a while, and then I like my beer,” Osinbajo, 69, admitted. At the time, he was working within the justice sector of the UN mission in Somalia. After completing Sunday fellowship, his plan was straightforward.
“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.
Upon entering the restaurant, he noticed his colleagues already drinking. However, the atmosphere shifted immediately they saw him—drinks were quickly hidden under tables, bottles moved out of sight, and expressions changed.
Curious, Osinbajo asked a Danish colleague why they reacted that way. The response was simple yet profound.
“You are the priest, and we cannot be drinking around the priest,” the colleague replied.
That brief statement struck deeply. There was no sermon or lecture—just an unspoken expectation that reflected how others saw him.
Osinbajo explained that the moment brought a strong sense of conviction. It became clear to him that while many actions might be permissible, not all are beneficial.
“Since that day, I have never consumed alcohol,” he said.
That experience in Mogadishu marked the end of a private habit and the beginning of a lasting personal commitment. From his time as Attorney General of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 to serving as Nigeria’s 14th Vice President from 2015 to 2023, he maintained that decision.
Born on March 8, 1957, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and prominent APC figure is also a pastor. Yet, it was not his title that influenced the change that day in Somalia—it was the quiet realization prompted by how others perceived him.
Sometimes, the most powerful turning points do not come from grand stages or sermons, but from simple, unexpected moments—like a drink quietly hidden beneath a table.