Gift Joseph OKpakorese
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said that Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has proven and given much credence to the need for the office of the First Lady in Nigeria.
In the opinion of the APC veteran, he remarked that contrary to the criticism of those who rejected the esteemed office, Aisha has been a voice of conscience in accomplishing her role as First Lady of the federation.
Tinubu made this revelation on Thursday, April 8th in Abuja while commenting during the book launch of Aisha’s biography titled, “Aisha Buhari: Being different.”
Funnily enough, media sources had recalled an earlier statement made by Buhari in 2014 when he was bidding for the seat of the president. Buhari had promised that his government will not run an office of the First Lady because it is not provided for in the constitution.
However, as events unfolded, it became obvious that the office has only been abolished on paper as Aisha continues to carry out ceremonial roles with the help of government-appointed aides.
Reacting to the way and manner with which the First Lady has functioned and conducted herself so far, the APC Chieftain had remarked that, evidence of the positive contributions recorded so far by Aisha Buhari, has proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and laid to rest the concerns of those who once contended that such office is illegal and not wanted.
“Given the First Lady’s achievement, no one can reasonably question the role of a first lady any longer,” the former governor of Lagos said.
“Remember that there were those who argued that the constitution does not assign any official role to the First Lady. With Dr. Mrs. Aisha Buhari, their concerns have been forever laid to rest.
“The First Lady has played an uplifting, unifying role both in symbol and substance. She has been a voice of conscience calling us to be of our better self for the good of the nation and the vulnerable among us.”
