High Life with Kayode ALFRED
It is interesting that there are societies that persist in the tradition of matriarchal rulership. Maybe not as glaringly as many proponents of feminism would have it, but still…progress! Nigeria is not one of such societies. Nevertheless, women have played fine, significant, and immeasurable roles in their development. As can be seen with First Lady Aisha Buhari, women bring much relief and succour to their subjects. But these women fight their own battles too, as can be seen, again, with First Lady Aisha Buhari.
Recently, media houses and channels were fanned to flames with the news that there had been a collision of interests in Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. According to the first report, this eventually led to gunshots fired into the air and vehicle tyres screeching as in a James Bond movie. Much later, however, the rumours were distilled into reasonable facts.
According to the resultant patches of information, the said collision happened between Aisha Buhari and Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, the Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari. The latter had reportedly arrived at the Presidential Villa after having spent some time in Lagos, visiting his wife who recently put to bed.
On his return, however, he did not observe the mandatory 14-day isolation protocol which was put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading to susceptible folks. Thus, Aisha Buhari—along with her children—supposedly confronted him, to which he allegedly refused.
Sparks resulted from the confrontation and the subsequent refusal. One of Aisha Buhari’s security aides then shot into the air to enforce the First Lady’s—and indeed, the NCDC—directive. Here is where Sabiu Yusuf fled his residence within the Villa, tyres screeching all the way, and into the residence of one of President Buhari’s confidants, Mamman Buhari.
And then Aisha’s security officer was arrested. And she publicly requested his release. However, the First Lady’s public demand for his release went unheeded. The latest report on this is that everything has been settled, with Sabiu Yusuf back at his desk and all security officers redeployed.
Although some folks have pointed out that this is the best course of action by the Presidency, others point out that Aisha Buhari got the short end of the stick. Seeing as she has never shied away from referring to ‘cabal’ activity within the Villa, these folks maintain that the First Lady is in the centre of it all, battling to sustain, strengthen and solidify her place in the Presidency.
