Patience Jonathan and her $31 Million Skye Bank Accounts | By: Tony Ogunlowo

The former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has written to the Chairman of the EFCC claiming the ownership of more than $31 million found in various Skye Bank accounts. In an affidavit sworn before  the Federal High Court in Lagos she claimed the money was for her medical expenses.

So Mama Peace claims the money was for medical expenses?  Even though the whole of Nigeria finds this difficult to believe I don’t – she really needs a lot of money for her medical condition(s).
The sum she quoted for medical expenses is understandable when you realize she needs a full-time language therapist ( trying to teach someone to say ‘are you the only one who came?’ instead of ‘na only you waka come?’ can take forever!); an anger-management specialist( since she’s known to fly off the handle frequently); a travel-sickness specialist( since she spent most of her tenure as First Lady frequently jetting between Britain, Germany, Abuja and Bayelsa); an etiquette specialist and a relationship expert(after all she’s married to ex-President Jonathan Goodluck, PhD).

Now how she came about the money in the first place is still a mystery since the First Lady doesn’t earn anything and being a Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa state civil service, at the same time (she was a superwoman who held down two jobs, one in Abuja and the other one two hundred kilometres away!) doesn’t pay that much. But yet again she could have dipped into her husband’s savings since she wore (and still wears!) the trousers in the house.

The EFCC claims the monies found in her account are the proceeds of gratification – a gentle term to describe the proceeds of fraud, money laundering and bribes.
Considering the fact she believes that if ‘somebody come dash you something shay na payment be dat?’ she’ll have a hard time explaining to the EFCC boys who actually ‘dashed’ her such a colossal sum that enabled her to own a magnificent hotel and several luxurious properties. And what could she have done for this person or persons that they were so grateful to ‘dash’ her so much to spend on her health. As the First Lady of Nigeria wasn’t she entitled to free medical care anywhere in the world? Why did she have to, allegedly, pay for it out of her own pocket? And what treatment was she receiving abroad that cost so much? With the money found in her account she could easily buy a clinic in London or Bonn!
If she was ‘dashed’ this money she could have put it to good use since she obviously didn’t need it being the President’s wife. She goes on about how charitable she is and she could have donated this money to the under-funded IDP camps or to the Nigerian Health service.
If $31 million dollars has been found in accounts belonging to her meant for her medical expenses how much is going to found in other accounts, yet to be found or unearthed, for her travelling expenses?

FAAN clears the air on Patience Jonathan's alleged humiliation at the airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared the air on the stories going round that the convoy of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan, was stopped from taking her to the foot of the aircraft on the tarmac of the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The convoy carrying the wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan, was stopped from taking her to the foot of the aircraft on the tarmac of the Port Harcourt International Airport, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has said.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the FAAN described the report as misleading and mischievous adding that they only stopped the former First Lady’s convoy from gaining access to the tarmac where her aircraft was parked.

“The former First Lady’s convoy was only denied access to the foot of the aircraft during boarding formalities at the airport in line with international aviation best practices, strictly for safety reasons, as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Our security officials explained this fact to details of the former First Lady.

“We wish to recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan, in his recent trips from the same airport, had had to walk to the aircraft from the protocol lounge, in recognition of this ICAO regulation.”
“We wish to state that no such thing happened as Dame Jonathan, like other family members of former Presidents and other designated principal officers of government, are officially entitled to the usage of airport VIP and protocol lounges under the management of FAAN.”

A Must Read For Every Woman: An Admirable Virtue of Dame Patience Jonathan | By: Florence Ozor

Our society and social environment is rich in lessons and counsels all around, only if we probe to learn. I however, shall be drawing lessons from a rather unusual place. One may wonder what virtue there is to learn from Dame Patience Jonathan; what admirable character to emulate in her given what we know of her?
Personally, I don’t endorse most of her public conduct in that exalted position, yet I see something we all must learn from her. I hold no brief for Her Excellency, I can write a long piece on the “How Not to be a First Lady”, that’s easy. Rather, I’d like to state for the record that I do strongly believe that if Destiny exalts you to a high position it is absolutely your responsibility to do everything you can to live up to a considerable amount of expectation of that position; you owe Destiny that much.
Dame Patience is the wife of Dr Goodluck Jonathan former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A woman from a not so privileged background, who with a not so solid an education rose to  become by far the most famous First Lady we have ever had in our history…though for reasons not completely charitable. Not one to miss an opportunity to speak, most of her speech is laden of prime time comedy while the rest may be at best shooting for some “analogue” solutions to “digital” problems. Yet she possesses the most admirable and crudest form of confidence I have seen in years.
‘Confidence’ by my definition, in this context is that unflinching belief in one’s ability to succeed; not being held back by flaws, inadequacies or  past mistakes; not succumbing to failure.  The personality of Dame Patience is one that keeps going; completely blanking out the mockery of her errors and forging ahead from one appearance to the next.
No First Lady has been mocked more than she has in our history but she is out the next minute as though nothing ever happened moments ago. No other First Lady has been more grammatically challenged (most have been less vocal which may be slightly difficult to say) yet she speaks on, completely oblivious of her ‘handicap’. Nothing stops her from expressing her opinion, definitely not the English language! Dame Patience is the vintage example of how to take mockery in your stride.
The reality in our world these days is that most lack it, particularly in girls. Many have a form of “confidence” built on a sandy foundation which quickly gets eroded by the slightest wind of criticism. Girls and women are particularly affected because society by design has streamlined the conduct, behaviour and expectations of the girl child.
As adults how many times have we stopped the pursuit of our dreams because people talked us down or laughed at us? How many times have self-doubt, mistakes and others’ opinions made us retreat from life, while we mourn our ‘failure’? Daily we fail to proceed on the journey of destiny, daily we live less than our best because we take the perception of others about us to heart, however justified or even unjustified.
Daily we seek validation from people, we require motivational talks and constant assurances from peers, pastors, parents and friends. Sometimes we even lack the confidence to take genuine compliments; we downplay it or explain them away. We second guess ourselves so much and too often we let opportunities pass us by.
Truth is, we get less than the battering Dame Patience gets yet we stay away, shut down and require counselling for days, weeks and months on end to face life again. A little ridicule of our style, posture, grammar, diction and even the content of what we say, and we crash out of existence not to be seen nor heard of while life moves on leaving us behind. We afterwards mourn our dwindling confidence; wallowing in self-pity.
If most women had a good level of confidence we would have had more women in top positions of government, business and society. We would have had more women daily breaking the glass ceilings and setting defined trails for others, but we allow our self-doubt to make us accept mediocre attainments than we are truly capable of and that right there is a tragedy of Destiny.
We fail to ask and demand for what we think is due us, we come up with a billion excuses why we should not ask in spite of our competence because we are unsure. By the way, Confidence is right on the same level as Competence. Your skills are important; very true, but think — everybody has skills. How many are successful and outstanding? Confidence exalts your Competence.
The lack of it affects our ability to imagine and dream beautiful dreams. The mind lacking in Confidence shuts the imagination process down by springing up the doubts we have accepted over time. The first part of success is imagination. Confidence translates imagination to action and action become results. But even when we do dream, we lack the confidence to take the plunge. Our inaction births broken dreams and broken dreams birth depression. How then can you think it is too much to acquire confidence?
Stop apologising for how great you are or can be. Stop down playing you! Stop it!! It is not humility, it is timidity done in complete ignorance of the vision of your Maker. No one feels sorry for a high-speed sports car for going at such high speed, that’s what it is meant for!
In the midst of our well-deserved success we keep feeling guilty like we are fraudsters, as though someone could “find out” that we are impostors and ridicule us. We feel undeserving. We, by such thoughts pull the brakes on our momentum. Self-doubt is the greatest hindrance to fulfilling worthy goals.
We generally feel confident when we have met the pass mark, when we are “perfect”, but are very unforgiving of ourselves when we miss the mark. Be less harsh in the appraisal and judgement of yourself. Attaining perfection is unrealistic and failure to achieve this results in more self-doubt, which births a dangerous lack of confidence. Strive for excellence, this is realistic and attainable. It’s okay to make mistakes, but get up, correct them and move on. It is completely okay to fail. Quite frankly I have failed too many times, yet it is not an endorsement to take exclusive ownership of failure.
People who judge you by your failures rather than by your character have themselves established failure in their actions. More so, who amongst us have the legitimacy to judge? Basing actions/inactions on the illegitimate judgement of others (and ourselves) is folly. This though, is not carte blanche to flaunt your flaws or to not heed to edifying corrections. By all means improve on yourself and keep improving. But first, believe the best about you. Motivate yourself. Talk to yourself. Engaging in self pep talk is not an hint of insanity, this I can assure you. The gospel is that confidence can be acquired and improved on. This will be covered in my next piece.
With the coverage of the life of Dame Patience it is obvious Nigerians can praise and mock you with the same frequency. This trait is not exclusive to us but to humans everywhere. This is the reason therefore why you must consciously work and maintain a healthy dose of self-confidence. Love her or hate her, this one true trait we should all learn from Dame Patience — Crude Confidence. So when next you have self-doubt, or are feeling sorry for yourself and are completely let down, remember Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan. 
Remember that your “failures” and gaffes are yet to be used as memes, display pictures, videos, music, campaign and dance jingles, t-shirts, as lines for opening mischievous conversations, exclamations, etc. Remember, that your “failure” is yet to trend on Twitter and other social media platforms. Yet to trend in the international and local media. 
Yet to be the highlight of comedy shows. Your “failures” are largely unknown and insignificant as compared. She’s had it worse than you yet she braved it every single time.
 
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What exactly does Dame Patience Jonathan want?

The above question was asked by a group called Concerned Bayelsa Elders. According to PUNCH,they are accusing the former first lady of plotting to ensure that the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, does not become governor next year.

“What exactly does Dame Patience Jonathan want? Dickson has proved to be a performing governor as he has within three years transformed the state in the areas of infrastructural development and security. This initiative has changed the fortunes of the state.

“Jonathan should be able to call his people to order because we know that his inability to call his people to order resulted in the eventual face off with Timipre Sylva and Rotimi Amaechi.
“Our appeal is that, as the leader of the state, Jonathan should encourage Dickson for succeeding in keeping the Peoples Democratic Party united in the state.” leader of the group, Ebeletimi Wilson told journalists in Lagos yesterday.

 ‎
‎He added that Jonathan’s silence on the matter omplies that both are scheming to ensure that a former commissioner, Waipamo-Owei Dudafa, emerges the next governor of the state.‎

He continued, “Why should ex-President Jonathan keep mum while his wife fuels crisis in the state just because she is not getting her way? It is very disappointing. Her aim is to turn Bayelsa into a crisis-ridden state like what she encouraged in Rivers State, but thank God Dickson has been tactful. It is ironical that she has in the last three years been the main opposition in Bayelsa State, intimidating the people and even security operatives.”

My health issues stopped after my husband lost the election. – Patience Jonathan

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan today revealed that she faced serious health challenges during the election period. Most people didn’t know this moreso she kept the public ‘heavily entertained’.
Speaking at a special church thanksgiving and farewell service organized for her and the president at Aso Rock Chapel today, she said she attended rallies in the day and sneaked out of the country at night for medical checkups.
After going through series of tests, she was told her condition will require a surgery. She added that the ailment however disappeared after her husband lost the presidential poll.
“I went through four different hospitals in Germany for the test and they returned a verdict that it was no longer necessary to do the surgery.”‎ She disclosed


Photos: This multi million naira hotel is reportedly owned by Dame Patience Jonathan

Situated in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Aridolf hotel is reportedly owned by Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. 
According to Financial Times, “In the lobby, Louis XIV furniture is accompanied by bowls of plastic fruit, faux Dutch landscapes and a grotesquely gaudy chandelier. The hotel is redolent of the riches on display in a region that for half a century has generated the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth.”

Patience Jonathan seeks support for General Buhari’s wife

Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan in a congratulatory message to Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of the President-elect on her husband’s victory at the presidential election also urged Nigerian women to support the soon-to-be First Lady.
A statement released by her media aide, Ayo Adewuyi reads,


“The First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan (Mama Peace) has congratulated the wife of the President-elect, Hajia Aisha Buhari on the election of her husband, General Muhammadu Buhari.

“The First Lady appeals to the Nigerian women to work with Hajia Aisha Buhari and give her the maximum support to make her succeed in her new assignment. The First Lady (Mama Peace) wishes her well in her new task.”

Opinion: Who will save us from Mrs. Malaprop? | By: Gimba Kakanda

As if the campaign trails that have had the handlers of the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan furiously against the emergence of retired General Muhammadu Buhari as the leading opposition candidate were not exciting enough as comedy shows, we’re being introduced to more hilarious campaign as the wives of the two leading presidential candidates go round the country rallying support for their husbands.

While Mrs. Buhari’s style of identification with the masses, like assisting roadside akara and puff-puff vendors to fry, considered condescending, was an unoriginal comedy, the lady she’s seeking to succeed is already the winner in the comedy category of their aspiration.
Mrs. Goodluck Jonathan is an incomparable clown, only that she’s exhibiting this skill at the wrong occasions and in the wrong way.

During her most recent performance in Port Harcourt, amusing a crowd of women that her husband would marry them if they got pregnant, in her portrayal of the President as gender-sensitive and pro-women welfare, she dismissed Buhari as “expired drug” and her husband “a lion!”
But that was nothing compared to her earlier description of the 72 year-old General as “brain-dead”! In Benin, she said, “Everybody is staying there (the Seat of Power) for eight years. Now it’s our turn. We must complete our eight years. It is a constitution of this country. We will complete our two tenure and hand over.” Not done with this absurd logic, she added: “They are looking for fight, they are looking for war… That is why they went and take expired drugs.”

What beats me more is her conviction that, indeed, her husband is an achiever. It’s however ironic for a lady who was many times at foreign hospitals, with her husband in power, and during whose administration doctors have gone on strike for poor welfare, to boldly campaign that “Goodluck has built uncountable hospitals… (and) trained doctors and nurses.”
Perhaps it’s only normal to appease the women of Lokoja in what seemed like an apology for her husband’s atrocious administration: “I brought some gift for you, I brought rice, I brought meat, I brought brocade. I brought many things for you.”
Calabar was the venue of Mrs. Jonathan’s most despicable clowning. Just the way her husband’s subdued deputy, Namadi Sambo, fumbled in attempts to polarise the nation, the First Lady seemed to have also dug out her husband’s political grave deeper by saying, “Our people no dey born shildren wey dem no dey fit count. Our men no dey born shildren throway for street. We no dey like the people for that side.” – a spite of the North and its destitute beggars.
Mrs. Jonathan seems to have a certain speech impediment. I’ve realised that and, out of a certain sensitivity, I no longer mock her malapropian outbursts. I know some of us do so merely to escape the horrifying realities mismanaged by her darling husband.
What I find disturbing, and which I don’t think should be dismissed as another of her malapropian ways, is the way she continuously contradicts the expectation of a university graduate as literate, learned and supposedly perceptive. Our flawed expectations!
While we all should be ashamed of the educational system that produced Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan at a time our education system wasn’t this chaotic, we need to agree that the nation’s first couple is a reflection of our flaws as a society and a state over the years.
Having this couple as the most important ambassadors of a nation of over 150 million disgruntled people may be ranked the biggest tragedy of this democracy whenever the generation after us sets out to document the miseries of our time.
Like many friends, I’m a reluctant Buharist. But he’s our alternative right now, and thus it’s natural to ignore Mrs. Jonathan’s order that “Anybody that comes and tells you ‘change’, stone that person.”
The joke that Her Excellency wants us stoned for demanding replacement of her husband, over which a number of us are laughing, overlooking it as another of her comedy shows that’s approaching the end, wasn’t taken so by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This administration has dragged us so low that the ICC, also recognising that “America will know” when it’s uneasy here, has grumbled to rouse fear in our misbehaving politicians. Something needs to save us from Mrs. Malaprop, and ICC, despite it all seeming like a confirmation that ours isn’t a sovereign state anymore. May God save us from us!
Credit: Premiumtimesng.com

"I'm not ready to take food to my husband in prison" Patience Jonathan

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan while addressing the women’s wing of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday at Ado Ekiti stated that General Muhammadu Buhari will jail her husband if he wins the election.


“What did they forget in Aso rock? If you vote PDP and Jonathan, it would be better for you. If you vote APC, you will go to prison. How can you jail somebody for 300 years? I’m not ready to carry food to my husband inside prison oh!” She said
She also branded the opposition party a poison and accused them of changing names countless times. “If you drink APC, you will die. Since my father was born, they have been around changing from one name to another. Very soon they would answer Ebola. The name can’t change you; it is only performance that can change you. If you like change it 100 times.”
She continued, “Nigerian women shine your eyes, don’t go for analogue, go for digital. PDP is digital, APC is analogue. This is the time to say thank you so that he will do more. Those people when they were there, they said we didn’t have brains. Jonathan came and lifted us from where we were lying helplessly.”

She implored the women to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and vote for the president.



“PDP is not a party that tells lies. Whatever we promise to do, we do. We are not a propagandist party. Ekiti women, your mother is here and I will not tell you lies, but the truth. Nigerian women shine your eyes o! Vote with what you have seen, who you already know and who has performed. If anyone is telling you change, they are deceiving you.” She concluded.

Dele Momodu writes open letter to Patience Jonathan.

Acclaimed journalist and publisher, Ovation International Magazine, Dele Momodu has criticised Nigeria’s First  Lady, Patience Jonathan over her verbal acerbic attacks on APC Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. 
Mrs Jonathan during a recent political gathering had described General Buhari as brain dead and unfit to rule the country.


‎Momodu in his first letter implored Mama Peace to follow the steps of past first ladies who endured barrage of criticisms hurled at them and refused to join issues with their husbands enemies.



Read the full letter below:

“Your Excellency please let me start by emphasizing the fact that this is my very first letter to you since destiny elevated you and your husband to the highest positions in Nigeria. 

It may be the last before your tenure expires on May 29, 2015, and another begins with you or someone else in the saddle. Despite all the controversies engulfing you and your husband, I had resisted the temptation of writing you in the past for several, if not many, reasons. Kindly permit me to expatiate a bit.

I’m a great admirer of strong, confident and energetic women who cannot be bullied by the galaxy of male chauvinists that litter the political landscape of Africa.

 As someone who was brought up by my amazing mum, Omo Arotiwebiojo, an unlettered woman and petty trader, I knew what it took to survive in a particularly difficult terrain.

Indeed, whilst some have impugned you for your so-called lack of command of the English language, I have remained partial to you because, like most of us, English is not your first language, and your contributions have enriched our home-grown lexicon!

I can therefore imagine what you and our dear beloved President must have gone through together, in thunder, lightning, rain and sunshine. 


The hurly-burly of life must have thrown you hither and thither when there was no one else around to share in your secret pain and anguish.

But it must have pleased God in His infinite mercy to raise you and your husband up, like Jesus did to a dead Lazarus, as original examples of uncommon transformation.

I must say, Ma, that I have a soft spot for you for other reasons. I was told on good authority that you were a more formidable politician and mobiliser of people and resources than your husband.

A few of your friends often regale how you have been a solid pillar and a rock of Gibraltar behind the love of your life, Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. 


It is said that you’re willing to sacrifice your all for his sake and he has also reciprocated by according you humongous respect and granting you such vast powers that make onlookers see you as a de facto President in your own right. To God be the glory.

I vividly recollect your relationship with the former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua. You gave her tremendous respect and your taciturnity was legendary.

Not much was heard from you at that time and not many, except probably Bayelsans, ever suspected that you had so much buried inside your heart and that you were only waiting for the opportuned time to vomit them.

Even in the days of tribulations when the cabal held sway and grabbed our nation by the jugular, you and your husband handled the volatile situation with maturity and remarkable equanimity.

Some of us were ready to fight your battle, and risked our lives, because we saw you as the underdogs who must be rescued from the fangs of the political hyenas. 


We were further emboldened by the facts of your husband’s man-in-the-street story, a fairy-tale of sorts about a man from the Otuoke manger who had no shoes. We were not just titillated but fascinated by such flashes of inspiration.

Against all odds, your husband became the substantive President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria after the demise of President Yar’Adua. 


Nigerians were happy about the smooth transition of power and they even boasted that for the first time we had not just another graduate but a PhD holder as President.

Sooner than later, as time sped by, it was time for your husband to run his own race. Nigerians from all walks of life queued behind him and he won without much ado. 


The goodwill he garnered was awesomely massive and the people were very expectant about the “fresh air” promised by him. Of course, to whom much is given, much is expected.

It is nearly four years since that momentous occasion and it is time for a re-examination and re-election. But what should have been a simple walk-over for your sweetheart seems to have developed k-leg.

While your husband and those close to him would want us to believe he is Nigeria’s best President ever, many Nigerians feel he has under-performed and would want to try someone else.

I have seen you and your husband waka up and down this nation campaigning like no man’s business. Many have likened the exercise to a student engaging in last minute agberu (memorising) after failing to do so all along.  This is the crux of my epistle to you today.

I have read and heard so much about you as a very powerful First Lady. I know that when you are at that level, not many people can tell you the gospel truth. No one wants to offend those in power. But I have decided to tell you the bitter reality once and for all.

I’m not writing out of any malice, since none can exist between us. But for the sake of posterity, which I know beckons as always; the fact must be told to you. The summary of what I’m about to say is that you and your husband have frittered away most of your goodwill.

Had you retained your humility in power, may be you could have avoided this commotion and conundrum of trying to achieve in two months what you couldn’t in about five years. You would probably have avoided the tragedy of trying to manipulate the electoral process, buying more time and doing a catch-up on lost grounds.

If the actuality must be told Ma, the whole trouble started the day you publicly ridiculed the Governor of your home state. It was reported that you yanked a microphone out of his hands and lambasted him like a recalcitrant school boy.

In order not to cause mayhem right there, the Governor was said to have left you to your tantrums and went home quietly like a penitent student. That day, you sowed the seed of discord that would later germinate and snowball into a consuming fire.

Though the Governor and your husband like true gentlemen chose to carry on their damaged relationship as if all was well, but the worst was on the way.

The battle for the soul and control of your state would later spread to Abuja where your husband began to see the Governor as an enemy who must be cut down to size.

In the process of trying to achieve that dream, more Governors joined the fray and in a jiffy, the centre could no longer hold. I do not want to go into some obvious details as I’m sure you know about the intrigues of power more than me. But I must give one more example of how you laid the foundation for today’s grand alliance against your husband.

Let me put it this way. Never in the history of Nigeria have I read of a First Lady responding to criticisms in the frontal manner you attacked Professor Wole Soyinka over an issue that you could easily have ignored.

That singular act of unrestrained combativeness was one of your worst public relations gaffes. Wole Soyinka is one of those global icons that you can’t take on and win.

If for nothing, here was a man who at about 76 years of age trekked under the scorching sun of Abuja to defend the rights of your husband when many of the acolytes around you today were nowhere to be found.

You were not supposed to repay such selfless gestures with verbal blows. That was when you finally lost me and I’m sure many others.
Let me remind you that virtually all Nigerian leaders have been disparaged at one time or the other.

It is one of the heavy prices to pay in compensation for the privileges of leadership. Just imagine how much some of us attacked President Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Sani Abacha and others over the June 12 crisis.

None of their wives ever hit back at the critics no matter the degree of provocation. In fact, they acted perfectly normal and even tried to build bridges of friendship instead of bombing the castle.

I remember with fond memories, Dr (Mrs) Maryam Ndidi Babangida, who remained graceful to the very end. Mrs Maryam Abacha endured the most blistering attacks against her husband in life and death.

She has since reconciled with many of her husband’s vociferous enemies. Hajia Turai Yar’Adua was subjected to virulent criticism by many, and I confess I was one of her knockers in the dying throes of the cabal, but she wisely kept her own counsel and declined to join issues with anyone.

When it dawn on her that the battle was lost and won, she packed her baggage out of Aso Rock without as much as a whimper.

If Justice Fati Abubakar was a selfish woman and a poor adviser to her husband, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, she would have insisted that they should not quit power within the one year he promised to hand over to a democratically-elected President.

That government had more than enough resources to buy the ubiquitous array of mercenaries but General Abubakar chose to go in peace and not in pieces.

It was such a rarity in Africa and till this day the General is still enjoying a standing ovation for his vision.



I must also mention specifically Mrs Stella Obasanjo, whose husband has always had a running battle with the media and yet she maintained steady media frenzy in her own kingdom.

She was everyone’s friend and continues to be fondly remembered even in death. I recollect one occasion when we travelled to Beverley Hills, USA, with her, and her simplicity just wowed everyone.

She made sure we jumped in the cars and buses and headed out to a night club owned by Don Cornelius. She was so down to earth. On her last trip to Ghana before her unfortunate death, I had gone to pay her a visit at M-Plaza hotel where she and President Obasanjo stayed.

Despite my frosty relationship with her husband, we sat in one corner chatting away as the President attended to his own visitors. She never got involved in our endless battles with Baba.

I have cited these examples to show that you and your husband are not alone in the barrage of criticisms and attacks. You must rise up way above such pedestal. But sadly, you have not been able to allow any comment pass you by, no matter how mundane.

I decided to write this open letter after the spate of vocal terror you deployed in the last few days against your husband’s opponents. 


In case some praise-singers told you lies that what you did was right, I wish to assure you that you’ve done almost irreparable damage to your husband’s presidential campaign.

I will now proceed to paraphrase about three of those satanic verses that escaped from your tongue this week alone, but not in any particular order.

The first shocker was when you said before a crowd that those shouting the mantra of Change are not serious and that as a matter of fact they should be stoned anywhere they shout Change!

 I thought it was a joke until the video went viral. The next one was when you spoke dispassionately about how your husband should be praised and thanked for improving the welfare of the menacing Almajiri kids in Northern Nigeria but you then went astray by insensitively and inconsiderately saying that the Northerners are fond of bearing children with reckless abandon and throwing them on the streets to fend for themselves. You went further to say such things don’t happen in the part of Nigeria you come from. I think that wasn’t very nice or tactful.

The last straw for me was when you declared matter-of-factly that your husband’s main challenger, Major General Muhammadu Buhari should not be voted in because he is “brain dead”, according to you.

That was extremely malevolent and sinister, to say the least. It is not an elegant language to be used by any lady not to mention the First Lady and certainly not about a former Head of State of the same country that you are governing and from whose citizens you are seeking a second term in office.

However, I believe that this may have been an innocent quip. Whilst some may be willing to forgive such naivety, it is essential for you to quickly assure Nigerians that you meant no harm and that despite the ill-feeling and bitterness that politics and electioneering may engender you wish no evil to any man least of all your husband’s leading rival and contender.

There is nothing wrong in admitting your mistake of commission or omission. It is actually a sign of strength.

In conclusion, I think you need to offer urgent apologies for those unguarded, unbecoming statements and try to be more circumspect in the future.

One of your best appellations that I love most sincerely is that of Mama Peace. Please, don’t change it to Mama War …!

May God continue to bless you and yours.

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