With the visit of Saraki and Dogara, Buhari has now received at least twenty Government officials from Nigeria in his over 100 days in London.
The Senate President and Speaker are the latest on the roll of persons to have paid their homage to the absentee President, penning their names to the register that includes – if you believe the pictures that have been released – Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Mohammed Barkindo of OPEC, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, State Governors, two Ministers and media aides. Per her right as wife of the President, First Lady Aisha Buhari would not necessarily be called a visitor to the President.
These visits, it can be assumed, are arranged or agreed to under certain circumstances by the inner circle of the President, to project the image of a well and still able Commander-in-Chief who has not abdicated his duty post due to ill health. He has, according to the visitors, improved from ‘retaining his sense of humor’, to ‘being in high spirits’ and now awaiting the signal of his doctors for a return.
Yet, visitors still throng to Abuja House.
Besides the photo-ops, it is not clear what the purpose of these visits have served for the country at large. Given the release of a video from the last visit of the aides, it would have been enough to pass the message that President Buhari is OK. Yet, the visits seem set to proceed.
And to think that these persons do not travel alone on anyone of their visits. Dr Saraki, some days ago, reduced his number of aides from more than one gross to a more bearable number – 200. How many made the trip to London with him, and at what estacode rate?
MI Abaga sang about the crowd mentality, on the need to dance when the lead says dance. Everybody is feeling the need to play to the gallery now, so as not to be the Jackal or Hyena that stayed at home without caring that the Lion King was toiling away.
In the political environment of Nigeria, Saraki and Dogara are not just “everybody”, yet it makes it funny how Buhari has become the Host-in-chief. Who’s next? Obasanjo?
