President Mohammadu Buhari must have scored another vital political point again, if feelers, turn of events and the elated mode within the caucus of the masses, at this critical, time is anything to go by. Critical time because the nation is on the verge of exercising its democratic process of changing the baton of leadership and with this, political jobbers, most especially haters from The Judas Iscariot Camp have began all sorts of mudslinging games.
The echoes of tension which seemed to be looming in the political arena before now appeared to have been doused with an epoch making decision no leader has been able to meet in years; for once, we have a President who was able to make a national impact to erase a political injustice of many years, little wonder feelings of guilt have been troubling discerning minds.
Even one of the daughter’s of the symbol of democracy, the brilliant Hafsat Abiola-Costelo could not hide her feelings to refer to President Buhari as the most quintessential Omoluabi of this generation as she settled for poetry to celebrate the recognition of her father by President Muhammadu Buhari and the dual honour done for his memory. In one fell swoop, President Buhari gave Abiola a posthumous honour that ranked him with all Nigeria’s leaders and also declared June 12, the day Abiola clearly won a democratic election that was annulled by Babangida’s junta, as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
What other honour can one give a consummate elderstatesman and exemplary leader of note if not the title of the Omoluabi-General of Yorubaland. The Omoluabi title which is the heart and soul of being good is a philosophical and cultural concept that’s native to the Yoruba people across the world.
For whatever it is, and for whoever is behind the concept of honouring late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as MKO, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, with the most coveted medal in the land-GCFR, and at a time when it seems like the chips are down, that person is nothing but a genius of politics.
Twenty five years after successive governments had overlooked what would have been a lasting glory by honouring the man believed to be Nigeria’s messiah of democracy, President Mohammadu Buhari, in his magnanimity woke up, just few days to the silver jubilee anniversary to apply a soothing syrup to the age-long pains of the botched election and the eventual loss of the main victim and symbol of the famous June 12 struggle.
The decision has not just been uproariously applauded in the circle of people of high administrative capability, and leaders of thought who think beyond ethnic bigotry but has attracted encomiums from heads of state and comity of nations all over the world.
The pronouncement of awarding the land’s highest medal on the man who walked tall in the keenly contested democratic process that remains the most freest and fairest in the anal of political history in this country is more than being commendable, but timely and long overdue.
Although, some school of thoughts who’re top echelon of the Aggrieved Looters and Losers Association of Nigeria-ALLAN will never see anything good in the befitting honour, to them, everything is politically motivated, and even if it is, then it means politics and its processes do not just end on election day, it is a continual procedure that requires nation building tactics, and knack for upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
In his views, human rights activist and lawyer, Ayo Obe has this to say, ”June 12 represented more than just a person. June 12 represented an idea that everybody in this country can live together as one, that we can treat ourselves as Nigerians without regard to tribe, ethnic origin, religion and all those things they have been used to divide us”.
Also one of the nation’s respected journalists and deputy editor at This Day Newspapers, Wale Olaleye who told the story of how he got a revelation on the need to make a big political statement with the approaching June 12 anniversary, sometime during the epileptic administrative days of the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The topflight political writer and analysis, according to his story had made frantic efforts to get in touch with the then government of the day, especially those he was close to, to do something remarkable instead of the usual frivolities of just a public holiday, ”I called Dr. Doyin Okupe, telling him what I think they can do with the approaching June 12 but he never got back to me as promised, and as if that was not enough, I also spoke to the man everybody referred to as The Leader, Chief Tony Anenih, though he {Chief Anenih} saw and bought into the idea, he however rang back to let me know it was too late,”, Wale wrote.
That reminds one of the popular Yoruba adage, Aja ti yoo sonu, kii gbo fere Olode, literarily meaning a child who’s destined to go astray will never listen to warning, that was how no one, out of the 6 past leaders that have ruled within the 25 years frame of June 12 anniversary, most of whom are kinsmen of the late symbol of democracy, Bashorun MKO Abiola, was able to key-in, into the historic opportunity.
Like they say, it takes two to tango, so also it takes a messiah to honour a messiah, hence President Buhari’s groundbreaking verdict that has changed the political landscape leaving the Judas Camp totally shattered.
This is not just a coincidence nor a matter of political correctness but understanding something philosophically strong to bring us together when it seems that chips are beginning to go down, and these are the characteristics of Omoluabi, the exemplary traits and art of doing good and mending fences, succinct to say that, President Mohammodu Buhari deserves the title of the quintessential Omoluabi of Yorubaland, for his foresight and impressive leadership quality.
-Tunde Moshood Jnr., a mediapreneur and journalist of international repute, writes from Lagos
