A week after President Bola Tinubu took his first bite, the nation’s watchdog found himself in a melancholic, pensive state as Nigeria honoured her military veterans.
The 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day honoured living and deceased personnel who served in the World Wars, the Nigerian Civil War and various peacekeeping missions. Tinubu and other top government officials laid wreaths at the National Arcade just across the Eagle Square in Abuja’s Three Arms Zone to mark the day.
Although it was his first as President, he is surely no stranger to such events, having observed the same during his governorship days in Lagos. But this is no longer Lagos. While the Guard of Honour mounted by detachments of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Nigerian Legion coloured the ceremony with an impressive display, no amount of colour could brighten the emotion-laden event.
Even the cheerful Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had to wear a sober look to mirror the atmosphere. He returned to form the next day, cracking jokes and sending the audience into a laughing spree at a birthday dinner Tinubu organised in honour of his long-time friend, Chief Bisi Akande.
To signify peace, the President released some doves into the air. But as the birds flew away, so did the peace in the FCT, where crime and terror activities skyrocketed that week. And so did the tens of houses, which were later decimated by a blast in Ibadan the next day.
But who would wish for the doves not to fly? If they did not, Nigerians, masters at reading signs, would give it a deeper meaning. Tinubu’s predecessor suffered that fate on the same ground three years earlier when most of the doves thought sitting in their cage was a better idea. More awkward was the contrasting commentary of the moderator, who kept saying, “There they go…flying high!” as the birds stayed put. The prevalent narrative was that the doves only mirrored the country’s mood, burdened by economic hardship and insecurity. However, others argued that the birds loved Buhari too much to fly away. The only way to know for sure is to ask the birds.
After the ceremony, President Tinubu hopped into his official Cadillac Escalade, where he briefly “escaped” Abuja to Imo State. In Owerri, the state capital, he inaugurated a road project and, hear me out, attended the swearing-in ceremony of Governor Hope Uzodimma for his second term. Your guess is as good as mine. Uzodimma must be a heavy lifter to get a sitting President to attend his inauguration. But it is beyond that.
In his address, Tinubu said such an event on a Monday – often regarded as sit-at-home in the South-East – showed how far the region had come from its IPOB-burdened days.
“I’m glad that we are showing to be a very united country and moving forward. The relative peace that you are enjoying here will be better and we will work hard with you to achieve that peace.
“Before now, every one of us was enveloped in fear to come to Imo State, but today, Imo is safe and ready for business. What we learned from this is for us to work together, join hands and pay attention to our internal security,” he remarked.
For context, the Indigenous People of Biafra, a proscribed separatist group now referred to as a terrorist organisation, instituted a sit-at-home every Monday as a form of protest to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and to push for the independence of the Biafran territories.
These enforced quiet days have had significant economic and social impacts on the business-inclined South-East as markets are closed, streets deserted and public services often suspended. While IPOB argues that this measure demonstrates the people’s will and solidarity with its cause, reports say most residents simply comply out of fear.
By scheduling his inauguration ceremony for a Monday, Uzodimma and his friend, President Tinubu, sent a glaring message to the separatists. Whether or not the Monday sit-at-home is gone for good would depend on the cohesive effort of the President and all South-East governors in the coming years.
We, the younger ones…
On Tuesday evening, President Tinubu organised a dinner at the State House Conference Centre to honour his long-time friend and confidant, Chief Bisi Akande. When it was time to speak, I listened to the President refer to himself as: “We the younger ones.”
Here’s the full gist: “We the younger ones are very lucky to have you (Akande). You deserve to be celebrated. Anyone who wants to learn forgiveness, candour and reliability should see Chief Bisi Akande.”
‘Younger’ could be a mark of respect for Baba Akande, who is over 14 years older than President Tinubu. Still, the President using the adjective ‘young’ on himself stung my ears. It now makes sense why he campaigned so hard for office, danced at campaign rallies and traversed the 36 states preaching his Renewed Hope Agenda. He considers himself a youth with enough strength to spare. If the President deems himself young, how much more the Vice President, Kashim Shetimma, who danced his way to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland?
To dance or not to dance?
Shettima led a lean but high-powered delegation to represent Nigeria at the WEF in Davos from last Monday to Friday. Aside from the formal sideline meetings, video footage showed the VP dancing to Kizz Daniel’s ‘Buga’ at the Nigeria Night. Nigerians back home expressed mixed reactions.
An X user said, “This VP Shettima’s Buga dance must be the Kanuri style.” Another wrote, “This is funny. Most importantly, I hope the presentation that followed carried substance.” However, others shared their reservations, like a user who said, “This is exactly what happened in April 2014 after a bomb blast. President Goodluck Jonathan was out to parties when Borno was boiling. The Governor of Borno was Shettima. Now, Shettima is the VP, repeating the same mistake. Ibadan is boiling, the North isn’t resting, but man’s dancing Buga.”
“Tinubu will handle the economy while Shettima will handle security. I love the way Shettima is tackling insecurity with his dance moves. We should be fine in about a week,” another wrote satirically.
The choice to dance or not is not merely about the action. But who is engaging in it, in what spirit and environment and at what time?