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OPINION: Tinubu, Atiku And The Lion’s Share [Monday Lines 2]

Published

6 months ago

December 16, 2024

Editor

By Lasisi Olagunju

Adrian Louis is a witness to what popcorn does in a movie theatre. The American poet’s poems are apparently for Nigeria, a nation in eternal transition: “We gave them corn which, once popped/ into miniature buttered clouds/ gave us the opportunity to watch ourselves: / bloodthirsty, slow-thinking and grunting.”

We need lots of popcorn as we go into the new year. An Atiku Abubakar vs Bola Tinubu spar started last week over where the next president should come from and who the person should be. Tinubu’s man, George Akume, fired the first salvo. He demanded that, “President Tinubu, as a southerner, should be allowed to have a second term, meaning that those eyeing the presidency from the North in 2027 should look beyond that year by waiting till 2031.”

Almost immediately, Tinubu’s ex-friend, ex-(political) bedmate, Atiku Abubakar, came out roaring. He counter-asked that the next president must come from his part of the country, the North, and queried Akume’s sense of justice. “Where, then, does true equity and fairness reside? By the year 2027, the South will have enjoyed 17 years of leadership—eight years under Obasanjo, five years under Jonathan, and four years under Tinubu—while the North will have experienced only 11 years, with Yar’Adua serving three and Buhari eight. This results in a disparity of six years between the North and South, casting a shadow over the balance of power.” That was from Atiku Abubakar.

Tinubu’s man said that Tinubu should be the sole beneficial owner of the future. Atiku spoke about “equity and fairness”. He said “the South will have enjoyed 17 years of leadership…” I read him two, three times and I was tempted to ask him: Did Nigeria start to exist in 1999 when his calculation started? If fairness is the talk, what would have been more equitable than starting our maths from independence, 1960? And, looking forward, why should the future be locked in for just those two lions in our jungle? Why must the future be a continuation of the story of those two who have been major (mis)writers of our democratic story since 1999? Should they forever think all others are stags, food for their lions?

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People who reason that way obviously think ‘the lion’s share’ should be for the lions. Aesop, storyteller of antiquity, puts what those two think of us in perspective. The story is reproduced here verbatim as told in folklore:

A long time ago, the Lion, the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf agreed to go hunting together, sharing with each other whatever they found.

One day the Wolf ran down a deer and immediately called his comrades to divide the spoil.

Without being asked, the Lion placed himself at the head of the feast to do the carving, and, with a great show of fairness, began to count the guests.

“One,” he said, counting on his claws, “that is myself the Lion. Two, that’s the Wolf, three, is the Jackal, and the Fox makes four.”

He then very carefully divided the meat into four equal parts and said: “I take the first portion because of my title since I am addressed as king; the second portion you will assign to me, since I’m your partner; then because I am the strongest, the third will follow me; and an accident will happen to anyone who touches the fourth.” The other animals kept quiet – they dared not talk, and got nothing for their efforts; the king of the jungle took all the benefits. That is the meaning of might; it is always right. It is also the root of ‘the lion’s share’ as an English expression.

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Thomas Grey Wicker was an American political reporter and columnist. He spent a large chunk of his 85 years on earth reporting and writing books. He wrote ‘Facing the Lions’ – a political novel published in 1973. Before then, he wrote ‘The Kingpin’; he wrote ‘The Devil Must’; he wrote ‘The Judgment.’ Then he wrote ‘A Time to Die.’ He wrote many more books, three of them under the pseudonym ‘Paul Connolly.’ But it is to his ‘Facing the Lions’ I turn in discussing Tinubu and Atiku and their ambition to be boss forever. Charmaine Allmon Mosby’s ‘Among the Dog Eaters’, an excellent review of the novel, makes it easy for me to use Wicker here. I encounter in their character Bull Durham Anderson, a political leader who “plays upon the emotions of the masses for power, profit, and place…” and who “does not mind if the ends are contaminated by the means…” Mosby is surprised that the man “frankly admitted misuse of his power, and yet the voters repeatedly returned him to office…” Why? We ask that question here also in Nigeria. The answer may come tomorrow.

This and several other quotes from that novel could well have come from the page of an irreverent Nigerian newspaper columnist: “I’ve known men with good sense otherwise that would swear on the Bible that if (Anderson) stole a dollar he gave ten back in hell to the corporation…” At the man’s death, his son excuses everything he did; he says that his dad was merely “a man like you and me.” Then, he concludes that: “Every vicious thing he did, every law he broke, every man he bought and cheated and ruined, all that power he used for his own ends, the barnyard of corruption he made out of this state – just like it says on there, he was always a man. He did the things men do.”

Why should the next election be about Tinubu and Atiku again? When is rape enough? For daring to ask those questions, I will be asked to shut up and will be reminded that Atiku and Tinubu are doing with our democracy “things men do.” Their men think they are our husbands, and so, whatever they do with us, we are stuck with them just as Wicker’s world is to Durham Anderson. We wait to see. But, perhaps, more immediate is that in the new year, we need lots of popcorn in our theatre. There will be drama – comedy, tragedy, and a combination of both; a salad bowl of claps and raps.

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Idahosa Optimistic Shaibu Will Perform As National Sports Institute DG

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Editor

The Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has expressed optimism that his predecessor in office, Hon. Philip Shaibu will excel in his new role as Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS).

The deputy governor expressed his optimism during the Thanksgiving Mass to celebrate the appointment at St. Paul Catholic Church in Benin on Sunday.

Idahosa, who appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the appointment, said Shaibu will bring to bear on the new job his experience as an astute sports administrator.

“We are indeed grateful for what God has done. We will continue to thank God on his behalf, because, he has served our state.

“Now, God has given him the opportunity to serve the nation. We will continue to pray for him for a successful tenure,” he stated.

The former deputy governor appreciated Idahosa for according him the honour with his physical attendance at the Thanksgiving Mass.

He assured the state of his readiness to effectively be a good ambassador effectively by working to reposition of the NIS in line with the renwew hope agenda of the President.

“I will try my best to bring the institute back to life. I will ensure that the reason for setting up the NIS is achieved,” he stated.

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Falana Slams Government Over Failure To Prosecute Suspected Killers In Benue

Published

9 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Editor

Human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticized the Federal and Benue State Governments for consistently failing to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with ongoing violent attacks across Benue State.

In a statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), which he chairs, Falana lamented that although hundreds of suspects have been arrested over the years for crimes ranging from illegal possession of firearms to mass killings and kidnapping, most of them are never charged or brought to trial.

The legal luminary’s reaction follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue, during which he directed the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the latest wave of violence in the state. However, Falana described the president’s order as potentially symbolic, pointing out that previous arrests had not led to convictions or justice for victims.

Falana also berated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for alleging that residents of Yelwata community provided shelter for the killers. He described the statement as an attempt to shift blame onto victims instead of addressing the systemic failures of security and governance.

Providing a timeline of law enforcement actions, Falana stated:

On December 30, 2024, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hassan Yabanet, announced the arrest of 273 suspects involved in capital crimes, along with the recovery of 20 firearms and 51 rounds of ammunition.

On January 17, 2024, Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed that an illegal firearms factory had been uncovered in Benue. Two suspects—Friday Aduduakambe and Iorwashima Iornyume—were arrested, and a cache of weapons, including nine locally made pistols and one unfinished AK-47, was seized.

On April 17, 2025, Governor Hyacinth Alia disclosed that three herdsmen were arrested over the killing of 11 people in the Otobi community, Otukpo Local Government Area.

On June 19, 2025, Community Volunteer Guards apprehended three suspected kidnappers at the Otukpo motor park with ransom money collected from their victims.

According to Falana, between January and June 2025 alone, dozens of violent crime suspects have been arrested, including 43 suspected killers in the last 10 days. Despite these arrests, no significant prosecutions have been reported.

“It is undoubtedly clear that the authorities have continued to treat suspected killers in Benue State like sacred cows,” he said. “The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Benue State, Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, must take immediate steps to ensure that justice is served.”

Falana stressed that the right to life, guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution, is meaningless unless the state acts decisively to punish those who violate it.

He warned that unless concrete action is taken, the ongoing culture of impunity will only worsen the bloodshed and erode public trust in the rule of law.

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Troops Nab 8 Kidnap Suspects, Rescue 2 Victims In Kwara

Published

10 hours ago

June 22, 2025

Editor

Troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade, deployed at the Forward Operation Base (FOB) Patigi, in Kwara have nabbed eight suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims.

This is contained in a statement signed by Lt. Stephen Nwankwo, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the Brigade in Ilorin on Sunday.

“Acting on credible intelligence, troops launched a tactical operation on Saturday, targeting a hideout on the outskirts of Latandaji Village in Patigi Local Government Area.

“During the engagement, troops encountered mild resistance, but swiftly subdued the criminals with superior firepower,” he said.

Nwankwo said that the operation led to the rescue of two kidnap victims, identified as Amos Moses and Philip Michael, while eight suspected kidnappers were arrested.

He, however, said that one Mohammed Mohammed sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire and had been taken to hospital for medical attention.

The brigade spokesman said that further operational exploits in the area led to the recovery of two motorcycles and two expended cartridge shells, believed to be used by the suspects.

“All arrested individuals are currently in military custody for preliminary investigation and will be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution,” Nwankwo said.

He said that the operation underscores the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to ensure safety of lives and property across the country.

“We urge members of the public to continue providing actionable intelligence to security forces in order to dismantle criminal networks.

“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its mission to safeguard communities and restore lasting peace in all regions of deployment,” he said.