By Steve Osuji

One of the last titans of the banking profession in Nigeria, Alhaji Salihu Abubakar Ehimeakhe turns 80 on this day, December 20th, 2025.

Those who know him still wonder how he seems to defy aging. At four scores, he manages to maintain his gait and imposing physique.

For one who’s six feet five inches tall, he remains ramrod and straight. Eighty looks good on him, many  enthuse.

Aging has not affected his mind either. Extremely quick-witted and fastidious, Alhaji Ehimeakhe is among the few British-trained, authentic bankers still around.

When you engage him on the subject of banking, he would often shake his head about ethical deficits and  unprofessional conducts that seem to pervade the industry today.

He is worried that bankers of this generation seem to have forgotten their raison d’etre; the reason many are in banking today seems to be vastly different from that for which people of his era were. He  thinks the fiduciary duty   between the banker and his customer has almost vanished. This, of course, continues to erode the integrity of bankers generally.

The respected weekly journal, The Economist of London once described today’s bankers as ‘banksters.’ That description is not far from reality. Bankers of earlier times epitomised integrity, conservatism, and acute professionalism. They shunned flamboyance and ostentatious living.

They were stoic, operating quietly from the background. The wellbeing of customers and proper management of their hard-earned resources were uppermost in the minds of true bankers of yore.

Today, flamboyance and rapacity seem to be the hallmarks of banking. To the point that we see cases of bankers becoming richer than the   very institution they are trusted with.

It also explains why banking institutions that are over 100 years old suddenly fail. That should never happen. If bankers  work strictly according to  best practices established banking behemoths should never fail.

One eternal lesson he harps upon is the need for a succession plan. This is not only key in organisations but even in life and down to families. The consequences are often dire when careful and proper succession plans are neglected. Nothing kills a company/business faster than handing over to the wrong successor.

Alhaji, as we call him, had a most stellar career in Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN and rose to the position of the sole General Manager of UBN  when the bank was among the top three in Nigeria.

He would later contend for the number one position of GMD/CEO for which he was suitably prepared academically and professionally by Barclays Bank that saw that great potential in him.

It was from this burgeoning portfolio that he led the supervision of all the bank’s subsidiaries whose MDs reported to him. He was also chairman of over eight committees of the bank.

Ehimeakhe was also the de facto leader of Union Bank’s historic re-engineering process. The then MD/CEO knowing his abilities to steer the project, entrusted it to him. After the highly successful commencement of the turnaround that witnessed the introduction of the hardware and software of the bank’s computerisation, Ehimeakhe was primed and widely speculated to succeed the incumbent MD/CEO but for the Nigerian factor!

When it was the vogue in  Nigeria’s banking system to separate wholesale from retail banking, it was Ehimeakhe the lot fell upon to carry out the arduous duty of resuscitating the comatose Union Merchant Bank (UMB) after two earlier attempts had failed.

In spite of initial challenges, UMB under Ehimeakhe as it’s new MD/CEO was an unqualified success. He and his team ran the bank profitably winning the Issuing House of the Year award for two consecutive years and beating the likes of IBTC to the race.

As a teller in 1966, young Ehimeakhe’s outstanding brilliance, diligence, dedication to duty and standout performance earned him record-setting promotions at the time. Further, his outstanding performance in all the banking courses did not escape the notice of the British managers in  Barclays Bank of Nigeria (as Union Bank was then known).

Ehimeakhe was therefore, singled out on merit, out of thousands of staff of the bank, for in-service course in either Economics or Business Administration in any Nigerian university of his choice with all expenses paid – tuition, board, books, etc. He was also  to enjoy the unabated payment of his monthly salaries and allowances.

Ehimeakhe opted for Business Administration at Ahmadu Bello University.

He enjoys the distinction of being the first and only beneficiary of such unique sponsorship!

He graduated with flying colours and returned to his duty post in the bank.

At only 33 years of age, while heading the Bank Road  branch in Kano (UBN’s 3rd biggest branch then), Ehimeakhe was head-hunted to head Union Bank UK Ltd as the pioneer General Manager.

He had to politely decline on account of his aged parents that needed close care as well as extended family responsibilities.

He similarly declined to take up an overseas scholarship in his early banking days in order to continue to cater for his immediate siblings in secondary school.

This trait of strong family orientation and a sense of filial well-being for all has remained till today.

He rose rapidly, reaching the very top of his professional career  in UBN before politics and narrow biases (other than merit)  began to influence promotions in a rather perverse way. This phenomenon signalled the downturn that eventually made the big, strong, reliable stallion go belly up.

Alhaji Ehimeakhe was truly a thoroughbred professional who rose from the shop floor to the zenith of his career by merit and merit alone.

During the heady days of President Ibrahim Babangida, all he had to do was to avail his CV to a couple of bosom friends close to the seat of power who had  approached him, and he would have been appointed MD/CEO of any of the top three banks (First Bank, UBN and UBA).

But Alhaji Ehimeakhe gently declined those approaches as they run counter to his strong professional orientation and strong belief that an appointment that he ordinarily should earn by merit was influenced by political considerations.

He was of course, well respected by his colleagues in the industry (and even feared by some) for his insistence on merit and principled leadership.

Yours truly  was the corporate affairs manager of UMB as well as personal assistant to Alhaji Ehimeakhe for about three years. He is not only a devout  Muslim, he is a veritable model of the faith who lived its tenets with minimum obtrusion. He never missed his prayers yet no file lingered on his desk. Many of his close friends are non-Muslims. Indeed, he mingled freely with all, apparently blind to faith and ethnic origins. He rather set  store by content of one’s character and  integrity quotient.

Alhaji had what some of his contemporaries have dubbed as a punishing work ethic which comprised working long hours and  attention to even the minutest details.

He has a heart of gold and charity comes naturally to him though he would rather do them quietly. He has just handed over a modern mosque to the Muslims in his hometown Warakke, in Edo North.

He is married to one wife with whom they have seven children, all grown up, well educated in Nigeria and overseas and very well established as Engineers (Chemical /Petroleum with BSc and MSc degrees respectively, Computer Software and Hardware), Pharmacist,  (Doctor of Pharmacy), Orthodontist (BDS UI, MSc Cosmetics Dentistry Manchester, DDS Minnesota, Orthodontics Atlanta), Lawyer (LLB Manchester, BL Law School Nigeria, LLM Nottingham) and Economist and Investment Banker with Merrill Lynch).

He attributes the glaring success of his children to God who has shown him and his household exceeding love and mercy. He also emphasises the importance of quality parenting with measured application of stick and carrot. Plus unflinching and dedicated family support for the children until they  gain some stability in life.

As you read this, Alhaji is being treated like a king in some exotic Island resort off the coast of Mexico by his children. A fitting celebration for a great dad on his landmark birthday.

Though he doesn’t wear his chieftaincy titles, he is the Aloaye of Auchi Kingdom and the Fowoshaiye of Remo Land.

He is a mentor and a source of inspiration for many who seek to model after a highly disciplined  and cultured life that Alhaji easily represents.

This is wishing Alhaji Ehimeakhe more years in good health.

By Babafemi Ojudu

When Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo assumed office as Nigeria’s President and Vice President in May 2015, their partnership evolved into one of the most stable and institutionally coherent relationships in Nigeria’s democratic history. Across two full terms, President Buhari repeatedly demonstrated—through words, actions, and formal delegation of authority—his confidence in Osinbajo’s intellect, loyalty, and leadership capacity.

This record matters, not as political sentiment, but as evidence.

Trust Tested: Osinbajo as Acting President

One of the earliest and clearest demonstrations of Buhari’s confidence in Osinbajo came in February 2016, when the President voluntarily transmitted power to his Vice President during a brief vacation abroad. In Nigeria’s political history—where presidents have often clung to power even in absence—this was a notable act of trust.

That trust was tested more severely in 2017, during Buhari’s prolonged medical leave. Osinbajo served for months as Acting President, overseeing national security, economic management, and executive decision-making at a critical moment.

On Buhari’s return, there was no equivocation in his assessment: “I am pleased with the way the country was run in my absence.”

— President Muhammadu Buhari, March 2017

He went further, describing Osinbajo’s stewardship as “fantastic” and praising his decisiveness and energy. Governance, Buhari emphasized, had not stalled.

Authority, Delegation, and Institutional Integrity

In August 2018, while Osinbajo was Acting President, he approved the dismissal of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). The decision provoked intense political pressure for reversal.

Buhari refused.

According to accounts of the episode, Buhari viewed any attempt to countermand Osinbajo’s lawful action as injurious to institutional stability and as an insult to the authority he had delegated to his Vice President. He stood by the decision—not as a passive observer, but as a President asserting that his deputy’s constitutional powers were real and enforceable.

This was not symbolic trust. It was operational trust.

Economic Management and Policy Leadership

Buhari consistently praised Osinbajo’s role in economic stewardship, particularly as Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC). Addressing traditional rulers in Ogun State, the President publicly acknowledged Osinbajo’s intellectual depth and policy contributions:

“I am very pleased with his vast experience and intellect. He has captured effectively what the administration has done, and I commend him for playing a very great part in that. Thank you, Mr Vice President.”

Buhari also commended Osinbajo’s leadership of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programmes, initiatives designed to cushion economic hardship and bring government closer to ordinary Nigerians. Under Osinbajo’s coordination, reforms under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the Ease of Doing Business initiative moved Nigeria up 39 places on the World Bank ranking.

In a personal letter following a campaign incident, Buhari wrote to Osinbajo:

“I’m proud of our partnership and your unalloyed loyalty and your commitment to the service of Nigeria.”

These were not casual compliments. They were deliberate presidential affirmations.

Private Encouragement and the 2023 Question:

According to insider accounts, President Buhari privately encouraged Osinbajo ahead of the 2023 presidential race, reportedly describing him as:

“By far the best person for the job.”

While Buhari refrained from publicly endorsing any aspirant during the primaries—a position he maintained consistently—this private assurance aligned with the pattern established over eight years: respect for Osinbajo’s competence and leadership.

Public Tributes and Repeated Affirmations

At the virtual launch of Osinbajo Strides:

Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader in May 2023, Buhari described his Vice President as:

“A dedicated and loyal compatriot with a passion for excellence and service to the masses.”

Beyond singular events, Buhari marked Osinbajo’s birthdays with repeated public commendations:

* March 2019: Osinbajo was described as a loyal and dependable partner.

* March 2021 (at 64): Buhari praised him as “a reliable and dedicated deputy” and “admirably competent,” adding:

“I’m proud to have selected Osinbajo as my running mate, and he has given a good account of himself since our journey began in 2015.”

March 2023: The Presidency again issued a statement praising Osinbajo’s service and commitment.

Across eight years, these affirmations were consistent, public, and documented.

The Evidentiary Contradiction

Set against this extensive record, the claim attributed to Mrs. Aisha Buhari—that President Buhari did not “know” Professor Yemi Osinbajo well enough to support his presidential ambition—presents a clear evidentiary contradiction.

For eight uninterrupted years, Osinbajo was not a distant associate or ceremonial deputy. He was Buhari’s closest constitutional partner: entrusted with executive authority for prolonged periods, praised for leadership during national uncertainty, defended when exercising delegated power, and consistently acknowledged as central to the administration’s economic and social policy direction.

In governance, knowledge is not abstract. It is demonstrated through delegation, reliance, defense of authority, and repeated public endorsement. By these objective standards, Buhari knew Osinbajo fully—as a leader, administrator, and governing partner.To suggest otherwise is not merely to offer an alternative recollection; it is to contradict a substantial public record composed of presidential speeches, official statements, letters, and decisive actions. Where retrospective narratives blur, evidence remains.

And in this case, the evidence is extensive, cumulative, and internally consistent. It does not support the assertion that Osinbajo was a man unknown to the President he served faithfully for eight years.

History, when propgerly documented, resists revision. And here, the record speaks with uncommon clarity.

Senator Ojudu was Political Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari in the office of then Vice President  Yemi Osinbajo