Aisha Buhari’s Dinner: How Bauchi Governor Broke PDP’s Boycott

By Gideon Njoku

But for the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, the snub was 100 per cent, almost.

Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, had done the unprecedented. She had invited 2023 Presidential aspirants, across Political Party lines, to a Dinner with her. Held at the State House, it was really to break the Muslim fasting for the day.

It was the first time any of Nigeria’s First Ladies would  do that – invite Presidential aspirants to Dinner on Saturday, April 23, 2022. But it is well-recorded that Mrs Aisha Buhari is a different kind of First Lady. Controversial, many people think, but what  cannot be denied is her no-nonsense attitude. She is blunt. And does not suffer fools gladly.

Her invitation to the aspirants was just her, all over. She asked them not to enter the venue with their phones, and to show their letters of invite at the gates, as their pass.

Not a few hearts skipped when it was remembered that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was a Presidential aspirant and so, also invited? Would he be asked to show his invite? And would he be asked to drop his phone?

It is still not known why the First Lady invited the Aspirants instead of their wives. Many thought that would have been more appropriate. Others held the opinion that the Aspirants should ignore the invitation. They said the breaking of fast should have been at the behest of the President, not his wife. However, the First Lady asked them to please pick l females as running mates.

Reno Omokri, a well- known critic of the Buhari Administration was one of those who advised the aspirants not to honour the invitation. Anyone of them  who honors it, he posited, “is no longer a man.”

Not that it matters, but most people had taken it for granted that Presidential aspirants under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, were not likely to attend. They were right, almost.

The PDP aspirants boycotted it – Atiku Abubakar, Pius Anyim, Bukola Saraki, Peter Obi, Aminu Tambuwal, Nyesom Wike, Sam Ohuabunwa, Ayo Fayose, etc. But the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who is also a Presidential Aspirant, under the PDP, broke PDP’s ranks. He attended.

Many are saying that the PDP leadership did not handle the invitation to their aspirants well. “They should have spoken with one voice. They should have advised their aspirants to boycott, and to discipline anyone of them who did. Governor Bala Mohammed’s attendance did not show oneness, or unity of purpose”, a PDP chieftain who pleaded anonymity, told this magazine.

As for Vice President Osinbajo, he disappointed many people by not attending. They had looked forward to his meeting, one on one with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The two men have not seen each other since Osinbajo, like Tinubu, declared his ambition.

Osinbajo sent a representative, a Professor of Law, and a one-term Governor of Edo State, Professor Oserheinmen Osunbor.