WEEKEND DIGEST

 SUNDAY DIGEST!

‎A Little  Search In The Archives, And A Bigger Question About Leadership.

‎Sometimes, the past deserves to be revisited, not to reopen old wounds, but to remind ourselves of the kind of leadership we should demand from anyone asking for our trust.

‎In May 2022, Nigeria witnessed the horrific killing of Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, after allegations that she had made a blasphemous statement.

‎Whatever one's religion, ethnicity, political affiliation or personal feelings, one principle should have been non-negotiable: ‎A human being must not be lynched by a mob.The law must decide guilt. Not a crowd. Not anger. Not religious sentiment. Not political calculation.

‎Against that background, something happened that deserves to remain in our national political memory.

‎On May 12, 2022, a tweet from Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's verified account condemned Deborah's killing and called for those responsible to be brought to justice:  “There can not be a justification for such gruesome murder. Deborah Yakubu was murdered, and all those behind her death must be brought to justice. My condolences to her family and friends.”

‎The tweet generated significant engagement (526 retweets, 100 quote tweets and 1,625 likes), and, according to contemporary reports, attracted both support and strong criticism before it was deleted.

‎It was followed by “This Tweet has been deleted.” after some backlash from his Muslim supporters 

‎The clearest contemporary report is from Channels Television, on May 13, 2022. Atiku said the tweet condemning Deborah Samuel’s killing had not received his approval, and that he ordered it removed: ‎“Every tweet has to get my approval. Unfortunately, this tweet – because I was travelling all over the country – did not have my approval. So, I said it should be taken down and that every tweet must have my express approval.” 

‎According to the contemporaneous report, Atiku wrote on his Facebook page: ‎ “This evening, I received information that a post was made that doesn’t agree with my orders. I use this to announce that any post without AA is not from me. May God protect – AA.” 

‎This was specifically in response to the post condemning the killing of Deborah Samuel, which had been deleted after the backlash.

‎There is a second, later explanation from Atiku that is even more explicit. When asked why he deleted the tweet, he said: “I asked the tweet to be deleted because I normally approve every tweet and since I did not approve the tweet, I asked them to delete it.” 

‎He said: “Every tweet has to get my approval.”

‎He explained that because he was travelling, the particular tweet had been posted without his approval and that he instructed his team to take it down.

‎He subsequently maintained that he was not afraid to take a stand on controversial issues and pointed to his previous position on Sharia as an example.

‎Months later, when the matter resurfaced, he gave essentially the same explanation: he asked for the tweet to be deleted because he had not personally approved it. He also stated that he had condemned Deborah's killing in subsequent statements.

‎These are the documented parts of the story.

‎But there is a bigger question for Nigerians. And this question is bigger than Alhaji Atiku Abubakar: What should leadership look like when doing the right thing becomes politically inconvenient? Because this is where politics becomes more than elections. We must know that a leader is not tested when everybody agrees with him. Rather a leader is tested when speaking the truth may cost him applause, votes, relationships, influence or political advantage. A leader is tested when his own supporters are angry. A leader is tested when his own community disagrees with him. A leader is tested when condemning injustice may create political discomfort. And sometimes, leadership requires the courage to say: “This is wrong, and I will not defend it because it is wrong.”

‎That is the kind of leadership Nigeria desperately needs. We should also be careful not to turn Deborah's death into another weapon for religious or ethnic division. That would defeat the very lesson her tragic death should teach us.

‎Following the killing, the Sultanate Council, Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah, Late President Muhammadu Buhari, the Northern Governors Forum and others condemned the killing and called for the rule of law. Buhari explicitly stated that no person had the right to take the law into their own hands. The Nigerian Bar Association also called for the prompt prosecution of those responsible, arguing that accountability was necessary to strengthen citizens' confidence in the rule of law.

‎That is the standard we should be demanding.

‎Not: “Is he my Muslim leader?”

‎Not: “Is she my Christian leader?”

‎Not: “Is he from my North?”

‎Not: “Is she from my South?”

‎Not: “Will his victory benefit my ethnic group?”

‎But: “When my life, rights and dignity are threatened, will this person stand for justice even when justice is inconvenient?”

‎That is the question we should ask because because Nigeria does not merely need politicians who know how to win elections. We need leaders who know how to carry responsibility. We need leaders who understand that governance is not a reward for political loyalty. We need leaders who can distinguish between religious sensitivity and mob justice, political strategy and moral cowardice, popularity and integrity, compromise and betrayal of principle. And above all, we need leaders who understand that human life cannot become a bargaining chip in the struggle for political power.

‎There is another lesson here for us as citizens. We should stop choosing leaders simply because they can mobilise your anger. A politician who constantly tells you who to hate may be useful during an election, but that does not automatically make him capable of governing a complex country like ours.

‎At this moment: Nigeria needs someone who can sit with people who disagree with him. Someone who can protect the minority when the majority is angry. Someone who can defend the unpopular citizen. Someone who can make difficult decisions without first conducting a poll to determine which decision will generate the most applause. Someone who understands that stability requires sacrifice. Someone who understands that development requires discipline. Someone who understands that empowerment requires institutions, not just handouts. Someone who understands that governance is ultimately about people.

‎The Deborah Samuel tragedy should therefore not be remembered merely as another political talking point. It should force us to ask ourselves: What kind of leader are we preparing to entrust with Nigeria? A leader who protects truth only when it is politically safe? Or a leader who protects truth because it is right? A leader who calculates the electoral consequences before condemning injustice? Or a leader who understands that some principles should never be negotiated? A leader who governs through division? Or one who can bring Nigerians together without asking them to surrender their identity, faith or dignity?

‎This is not about asking anyone to hate Atiku Abubakar. It is about asking Nigerians to examine the record of every politician including those we support with the same intellectual honesty.

‎If we cannot question our preferred candidates, we are not citizens exercising democratic judgment, instead We are supporters defending a football club. ‎And Nigeria is too important to be reduced to football. 

‎Therefore, the next election should not only be about who can defeat whom. It should be about who can unite us. Who can protect life. Who can respect the rule of law. Who can make unpopular but necessary decisions. Who can sacrifice political convenience for national stability. Who can build institutions stronger than individuals. Who can empower citizens rather than permanently keep them dependent. And who can look at a Nigerian in distress, not first as a voter, Muslim, Christian, Northerner, Southerner, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba or minority but simply as a human being whose life and dignity matter.

‎That is the leadership standard we should be building toward, because Nigeria does not need leaders who are merely popular, rather Nigeria needs leaders who are principled. ‎And most importantly, Nigerians must stop rewarding political convenience when what the country desperately needs is courage, competence, compassion and character.

‎Henceforth, before you defend a politician, study the record. Before you vote for a politician, study the character. Before you campaign for a politician, ask what happens when power conflicts with principle. And before you give anyone your mandate, ask the most important question: “When doing the right thing becomes politically expensive, will this person still do it?” ‎Because ultimately, leadership is not the art of pleasing everybody. Leadership is the courage to do what protects the people even when it costs you something.

‎I therefore call on Nigerians to raise the standard. Let us interrogate records, not rumours. Let us challenge our own camps, not only opposing camps. Let us reject religious and ethnic manipulation. Let us reward competence over propaganda, character over cultism, unity over division, and humanity over political convenience.

‎This has become necessary because Nigeria's future will not be determined only by the politicians we elect. It will also be determined by the standards we, as citizens, are willing to accept from those who seek our mandate.

‎Pease study the record, ask difficult questions, discuss respectfully, and when the time comes, vote for the Nigeria you want to build not merely the politician you want to win.

‎Shalom!

‎[ACN_JN8:12]

‎#newground2026 #leadership #nigeria #everyone #NationBuilding #impact

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