The Grammy-winning Lagos singer accidentally called Sasha Obama “Sandra” during her on-stage remarks at the $850 million Chicago center.
Nigerian singer Tems has spoken about her Obama Presidential Center performance in Chicago on June 18, 2026, admitting nerves caused a name slip.
Nigerian singer Tems has spoken about her Obama Presidential Center performance in Chicago on June 18, 2026, admitting nerves caused a name slip.
Grammy-winning Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, broke her silence Thursday after taking the stage at the Obama Presidential Center’s opening ceremony in Chicago. She was rattled. And she said so herself, publicly, on X, within hours of leaving the John Lewis Plaza stage.
Tems had accidentally called Barack Obama’s daughter Sandra instead of Sasha during the grand opening ceremony. Not long after, she addressed the viral slip on X, offering a lighthearted apology after the moment spread quickly online. “Lord knows I was nervous! Please forgive me!!!” she wrote, in a post that gathered tens of thousands of reactions within the first two hours.
In a video shared from the ceremony, Tems addressed the audience before taking the stage in a vibrant red gown. She told the crowd: “I am so blessed and honoured to be here, this is you, everyone, here, to Mr. and Mrs. Obama, to Sandra, and all the family.” The crowd caught it. So did the internet, almost instantly.
Tems joined an impressive lineup that included Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Common, Bono, The Edge, Marc Anthony, and The Roots. Tems is one of Obama’s personal favourites, with songs like “Vibe Out” and “Love Me Jeje” featured on his annual playlists, and for this performance she chose the R&B-leaning “Me & U,” also included on Obama’s 2023 list.
The ceremony was held at John Lewis Plaza on the center’s 19-acre campus, marking the formal dedication of the $850 million facility ahead of its public opening on June 19. The event drew several prominent political figures, including Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, alongside international dignitaries such as Angela Merkel and Justin Trudeau. Three sitting and former heads of state, one stage, and one Nigerian woman holding a microphone.
The Nigerian star received warm applause from guests following her performance, which was one of the highlights of the globally televised event. While many fans found the name mistake harmless and humorous, others could not help but laugh at how quickly the internet caught it. By Thursday evening, “Sandra Obama” was trending in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States simultaneously, as gathered by Westtrybe.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama attended the event alongside daughters Malia and Sasha Obama, who were seen engaging with the performances. The former first lady, Michelle Obama, used part of her speech to acknowledge both daughters, who joined their parents on stage for much of the event. Neither Malia nor Sasha responded publicly to Tems’ remark on Thursday.
The dedication ceremony marked the start of a three-day event, with the center open to the public on June 19 and community-focused celebrations running through June 21. Museum tickets for opening weekend are sold out, though the rest of the campus remains free and accessible to the public, with museum tickets available through November 30, 2026. For Tems, the sold-out venue and the global broadcast did nothing to settle the nerves she later confirmed, in her own words, swallowed her whole at the Obama Presidential Center performance.
