Apseudo-storm kicked off when President Muhammadu Buhari started his current medical vacation to London.
In his letter informing the National Assembly, he wrote that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would do presidential work in the president’s absence, but signed off the Acting President would “coordinate” government activities.
To a country that ripples with bad faith, a media that craves eternal sensationalism and a people that daily choke on mutual suspicion, no matter how specious, that was tantamount to throwing a red rag at a rampaging bull!
And did the polity go on rampage! Early English literature spoke of disputatious England, humming and quaking in high polemics, over the right way to break an egg!
Well, contemporary Nigeria, of the 21st century, is not much different — except that the subject is much more banal; and the methodology is much more emotive!
But in the midst of the loud but empty hubbub, Acting President Osinbajo, always a rare study in focus, went about his job, undistracted from friend or foe. And what’s he doing now?
Is he not coordinating the presidency as the president himself would have done, in a Nigeria that though has some systemic challenges, is nevertheless sapped with contrived chaos by some vested, if satanic, interests?
When Nnamdi Kanu started running his hate-filled mouth, his offending breath baiting and scalding all non-Igbo with equal-opportunity hatred; and the so-called “Northern youths” responded measure-for-measure, and 2017 Nigeria was looking eerily like 1967 Nigeria, with all the Armageddon to follow, it was this same “coordinator” that went to work.
Quietly and methodically, he lowered the tension and cooled the political temperature. Now, what’s that — lowly “coordination” or savvy presidential work?
That half-solved, Bukola Saraki’s Senate raised fresh belligerency, which the sensation-loving media immediately latched on to. They wanted Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC czar sacked and pronto!
The plot seemed immaculate. With the president still indisposed, they figured the Acting President was very weak, so they could stampede him to achieve their nefarious goal. And to up the ante, Eyinnaya Abaribe, the senator from Abia, played the ultimate scarecrow: the spectre of Saraki suddenly becoming “acting president”!
But how did the “weak coordinator” of their whims handle it? With the hardy moral grace of a toughie, who just crushed a senatorial coup, sending the plotters slithering like scorched snakes!
He called their bluff in no unmistakable way. Just as well!
The moral in all this? No, not Osinbajo as new presidential strongman. Not Osinbajo, gloating over real or imaginary enemies.
But Osinbajo as serious study in focused leadership and unstinted loyalty to the president. Just imagine what would have become the Buhari Presidency, were Osinbajo some devious fellow and vain character? How would our country have coped with the needless additional tension?
That is, of course, the big lesson to the Senate (indeed, the National Assembly) and the sensational press. Be focused on your work. Be loyal to your country.
Is that too much to ask of the Senate and the media, in these trying times?
