Tribute to Alhaji Shehu Shagari @ 90: A Good Example for all Active Gerontocrats

This is my first post here this year. Apologies for the long silence. It's deliberate because I have tried not to be drawn into the wanton arguments following the campaigns of the two gladiators I earlier warned should relinquish their ambitions in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. An advice they spurned, being prodded by their supporters and deluded follow-followists.

I am compelled to write this because for the first time in a long while, I watched NTA Network News tonight. As usual, the first five news items were about former President Shehu Shagari. Initially, I didn't turn the volume on. You can guess why, I think. And seeing the face of these man all over my TV, I thought maybe one other party has chosen to field him as a presidential candidate in the re-scheduled election. I had to quickly turn the volume on, only to realize to my chagrin that it is this wonderful stateman's birthday. 

Happy birthday to you, sir. May you continue to live long to whisper sane words to the ears of those leaders who care to seek advice from your fountain of experience and knowledge. May the Almighty continue to bless you with good health and much more prosperity. AMEN!

My Observations

Cutting the cake @ 90

Note those who are absent

1. All surviving former presidents went, together with the incumbent, to felicitate with him except two - GMB who was conspicuously absent (possibly still at Chatham House or Hospital, whichever); and

2. OBJ who made a show of going there on his own, with his own troupe of praise singers - but at least he went.

My Analysis

I will start from Number 2:

Why will OBJ go with GEJ to go felicitate with the celebrant just a couple of days after showing the world that he is a confirmed "Agadi na-agwo ofe," an equivalent of what the Yoruba calls "agbaya" and the English man calls "a fool at forty is a fool forever!" Honestly, remembering what this man did to my home state due to his devotion to the Uba brothers, I am won't to commend GEJ for standing up to him to the point that he goes ahead to publicly advertise his "Wetin call". I say this because within the Africa. Culture, there are certain demeanours that are off-limits for people with grey hair, let alone ones whose hairs have decided to abandon their scalp due to age. Assuming President Shagari is the one that publicly tore a card that ties him to a party that he is supposed to be a father in, how many of those who went to felicitate with him today would have done so? So, for not going with GEJ like The rest - Gowon, IBB, Shonekan and Abdusalami - OBJ is like the hen that fouled the air and is being pursued by Ani (earth).

Still talking about old men who do not know anything about leaving while the ovation is loudest, I now come to our dear GMB. Of course, there are people (even within our own families) who because their mother's soup is over-salted rather than help their mother make better soup, decided to jump ship to go and live with their mothers' co-wife. In the first instance, what would GMB have told Shagari?

"Sorry I overthrew you?" Or what? "Your gofment was kwarupt?" Or what again?

I tell you all these friends, relations, colleagues and enemies, who bombard my social media space with  GMB messages, if the thought of having a Buhari as my president doesn't irritate you, it nauseates me. Not because of the mountain of propaganda being bandied about but for my firm belief that this man has nothing to offer this country in this century. He is a man that belongs to another generation who should be considering rest like our own dear first executive president whom h e overthrew in a coup. People say GEJ doesn't have a doctoral thesis. He can come and take mine! But is it better to now replace him with a man who Torontonized a WAEC certificate? It even surprises me that graduates are shouting this mantra as if they are high on some congealed semen!

Another reason I don't like GMB and what he is (not) offering is his age and the people who are promoting his candidature this time around. You will agree with me that his campaigns in the past have been less riddled with controversies than now. By himself (and he was younger then), this man stands by his word. But this time around, he and his party cannot differentiate Transcorp Hilton Abuja from Chatham House in London. I once wrote that what will make or mar APC (All Progressive Confidence - no be me talk am) is the calibre of folks that are allowed to run it. And as if I am a prophet, gerontocrats hijacked the process and frustrating all the youthful ones into silence because they have quietly realized they have been hoodwinked. Note, am not talking about the social media noise makers who do not even have PVCs. Some of them are even based outside Nigeria, meaning that they won't even vote! Am talking of active youths who should have championed the movement of providing a viable alternative to PDP government. But no, it is Tinubu and his cohorts.

This looks like a more compatible generation to this age

Tell me, noise makers, if Buhari at 34 or thereabout could not stop his Chief of Army Staff from kicking him out of office, how will he check the old (Soyinkanesque) Baroka - Tinubu - that is propping him up at 73? With all these noise about fighting corruption, how is he going to perform that magic with his frail nature? Why is it so difficult for people to see that Tinubu is playing the same game OBJ played with another Katsina man we all know and love for his humility, God bless his soul?

Is it these ones that will bring change in the 21st century?

Talking about old people, I am not surprised that OBJ is naturally being attracted to APC.

I don't want to make this too long. I just wish these gerontocrats will learn from our dear Shehu Shagari how to be a good statesperson and not from OBJ, GMB and Tinubu who like the Ibsenian masterbuilder, do not know when to cut their losses and leave the space for younger people.