Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has applauded the deeds of Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, saying she would be going down as a first lady to capture the hearts of Nigerians in a spectacular way.
Osinbajo while speaking during the launch of a book titled ‘Aisha Buhari: Being Different’, written by Hajo Sani, at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, opined that the first lady has successfully engaged a younger generation of Nigerians in a continuous conversation at all levels.
The vice president however disclosed that while some of the opinions of the first lady remain controversial, she has successfully launched an engagement channel with most Nigerians.
In his words:
Dr. Hajo Sani has written a most engaging book on an incredibly fascinating person, Her Excellency Aisha Buhari, Nigeria’s First Lady.
It’s unlikely that any First Lady in Nigeria’s history has, in such a few short years, captured the imagination of Nigerians as profoundly as Aisha Buhari.
She’s, of course, the first First Lady to be on Twitter, on Instagram, and other social media platforms, getting her unfiltered views across to the Nigerian people and she’s probably the first to receive, in real time, the opinions of Nigerians on her views.
With her views, forthright, crisp, truthful and once in a while controversial, she has established an ongoing conversation with the Nigerian people. The issues that concern them most, the issues that concern us the most, good governance, security, putting food on the table.
The education of our children, prompt payment of pensions to army veterans, drug abuse, the violation and victimization of women and every once in a while she airs her own personal struggles, her annoyance, in a manner, probably unprecedented in the role of the First Lady anywhere,”
According to him, although her forms of engagement may not be accepted by all, it is no doubt that the first lady’s objectives and ideas are tilted towards uplifting the nation and its people.
The Vice president insisted that with the good deeds and right initiatives of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, it would be highly unlikely for the first lady to dissolve into history, hinging on the fact that the legacy of the first lady would earn her a space in the heart of the Nigerian People
But it’s unlikely that Aisha Buhari would ever be forgotten and even if there was a chance of this happening, this well written attempt to document her life and times and her contributions as First Lady to national life, through the causes that she has promoted, removes that possibility,
The vice president’s comment of Aisha’s “controversial” opinions may not be drawn far from a series of mellow drama that has played out in the Aso Villa in the last two years, ranging from the first lady’s viral anger venting video to the very controversial alleged power flex between Aisha and a Nephew to the president, to the first lady’s comment on cabals hijacking her husband’s administration (a comment she made sometime into the first tenure of the president)
Other dignitaries included Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala through a recorded message; Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), and Dr Amina Muhammed through a recorded message.
Also present were the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; former First Lady, Dr. Patience Jonathan; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Godsday Orubebe; the Ooni of Ife Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar III; wife of former Vice President, Amina Sambo, and many more.
Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he is taking a short rest in London, the president revealed this while congratulating the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, King Abdullah ll Bin Al-Hussein, following the resolution of a recent rift in the royal family, this was contained in a letter to new monarch in a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
