The House of Yar'Adua and Political Sycophancy

The pace of events since my last piece on the state of health of President Umar Yar’Adua has been extraordinary. If nothing, the events of the last few days have confirmed that President Umar Yar’Adua is not short of supporters and sympathisers in the political space. Most of whom can be aptly described as political sycophants. I have always found the continuous thoughtless praise of President Yar’Adua in the face of his ‘gross incompetence’ very sickening.


Sycophancy is not new phenomenon in our nation’s history. Even at the point of death, it will be stupid not to expect that some political jobbers and adulators will keep urging the President to carry on. These cheerleaders are neither acting in the interest of nation nor their ‘masters’. The motive behind this deceit is to use their master to perpetuate their own evil agenda. But as the Yorubas will say, “anyone who allows his/her head to be used to crack a coconut will never live eat it”

Despite acknowledging for the first time that it had no clue on the President’s return, the nation highest ruling body, Federal Executive Council (FEC), stuck to its guns not to yield to public clamour for the President resignation. And just when you think, the impoverished masses have not suffered enough from bout of hunger; the Minister for Information had the guts to tell Nigerians to embark on fasting. What a nonsense!

The comments of the FEC calling for ‘prayer and fasting’ on President Yar’Adua’s behalf is not only condescending but smacks of hypocrisy. Yes, people can fast and prayer for the President’s quick recovery. In fact some may choose to move to the mountain top in order to be closer to God, as that help hasten their prayer request. But truth be told, that has nothing to do with adhering to the provisions of the constitution.

Now it almost 19 days since the President went AWOL – albeit to receive medical treatment. But the questions remain, is it prayer and fasting that will help launch an investigation into the state of the President’s health? Is it prayer and fasting that will help determine if the President is incapacitated or not? Or is the FEC waiting for a ‘vision’ from heaven to inform their next course of action? As I write, it’s been reported by one of the local media that President Yar’Adua has lost his voice. For me, any call for prayer and fasting by the ruling elite is just a diversionary tactic.

We’ve also heard a member of President Umaru Yar’Adua, Hajia Binta Kuraje, rising to the defence of her brother. According to her, “The President has the ability and capacity to lead the country for another 16 years.” The lady was even bold enough to describe those calling for the President’s resignation as ‘corrupt’ because they are opposed the government anti-graft war.

Can someone please ask the Yar’Adua family what the govt anti-graft war got to do with this? I will be surprised if Binta Kuraje understands the meaning of ‘corruption’. Who is corrupt between a man (and his wife) that is intoxicated with power, and will do all it takes to hold on to it – despite his ill health, and a suffering masses calling for his resignation. And again, who says President Yar’Adua holds the monopoly on anti-corruption?

If Binta Kuraje does not know, “it is only when a man is alive that he can aspire to greater things”. Without fear of contradiction, I will say to the Yar’Adua family that the nation does not need 16 years of Umar’s presidency. Personally, I don’t care if Umar Yar’Adua is as agile as a monkey, because his first two years in office has demonstrated nothing but incompetence and lack of basic understanding of the requirements of his office. To put it in simple terms, President Umar Yar’Adua just does not get it. Period!

For how long will 150 million Nigerians be held to ransom by the ‘House of Yar’Adua’ and its political sycophants?

Let the House of Yar’Adua and all its political sycophants be told, Nigeria is bigger than any individual, household or ethnic group. This nation cannot afford a President that imposes a huge liability on its social and economic development. This nation cannot afford leadership through proxy. We do not want an absentee leader. We are not interested in a leader that will be ruling by proxy. We are not interested in a leader that will be passing instructions from a sick bed in far away Saudi Arabia.