I don’t really love talking about Nigerian politics and politicians. That’s for no other reason but my belief that the government should be allowed to commit its wonder, or blunder, as the case may be.
However, recent happenings are forcing me out of my manhole.
I’m sure those who are used to my writings would know it could not be the joblessness or hunger bedevilling Nigeria, especially jobless youths, that’s making me type this piece.
But my interest is in the unconstitutional usage of authority by people who are not entitled to such. Specifically, I’m referring to the so-called first lady and first son who showed the stuff they are made of over the past week.
I refer to the president’s wife as “so-called” because the position is not in the Constitution of Nigeria, meaning she is just any other citizen. The British historian Lord Acton warned that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
An incident occurred at Ile Ife, known as the source of the Yoruba. The Oba was marking his tenth anniversary. He then decided to honour some people. Mrs Remi Timubu was awarded the title of Yeye Asiwaju of Yorubaland.
All went well until the State Governor was called to read his address. He started with songs. And before you could say Jack Robinson, Mrs Tinubu was on the podium trying to shoo the governor away. She even said if he refused to leave, she would switch off the mic.
The Ooni was perplexed.
But I believe the event was badly arranged. The job of timing people should have been left to a master of ceremonies. Even at that, if the governor refused to obey the MC, it would have been better if Mrs Tinubu had overlooked it.
We have seen governors who chastised the president. Definitely, the president’s wife wouldn’t have liked the same to happen to her. Her behaviour was definitely not that of a pastor.
As for the president’s son, Seyi, he was reportedly seen by Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, with his usual bunch of security details.
For Soyinka to speak on a young man’s behaviour, let’s accept that the guy has done just too much. People like the prof. may not realize what the ordinary Nigerian is experiencing. By the way, when will the call for a reduction in security details of “big men” begin?
