We now know the presidential candidates and the running mates of the four major political parties in the 2023 race, namely, Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Congress (APC), People Democratic Party (PDP), and New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).
Again, God in His infinite wisdom, at creation gave Adam a compatible helper, to support and assist him in discharging the responsibility of managing the Garden of Eden. Against this background and situating it in the present reality of Nigeria, which is getting ready for the 2023 general elections, the Big Question today is: where are the wives of the candidates who are to assist, support and even pray for them?
Really, being a wife, a good wife, is serious business. Ask the virtuous woman that the Bible told her story in Proverbs. As the days roll towards full commencement of electioneering campaign, are the wives of the aforementioned candidates polishing their grammar and oratory? Are they privately discussing strategy with their husbands, to enrich the campaign with useful advice, titbits and all other inputs, by drawing from their past experience garnered from their respective walks of life. Or are they just busy acquiring new fashion items they will flaunt during the campaign? Clearly, this is a new day and it will not be business as usual. Nigerian voters want to see that the wives have competence and solid, refined intellectual fibre, to provide adequate support to their husbands in preparing for the campaigns and debates. Nigerians are not looking for wives that will be just decorative persons, to be shown off on the campaign trail, just because they brandish colours like peacocks. I ask again, how are they preparing to take up new roles, challenges, tasks and opportunities? Will Nigerians be presented with candidates’ wives that can stand up to intellectual scrutiny like Oby Ezekwesili, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Michelle Obama, Hillary Rodham-Clinton (of the 1992 US election). Certainly, Nigerians don’t to see a ‘Patience Jonathan’ kind of wife on the campaign trail.
Now, most of the candidates’ wives might or might not understand what it means to be the wife of a man that power rests upon. As some commentators have observed, a number of the southeastern states seem to be cursed with helmsmen that are only governors-in-title, with governance practically dead in their states. People in those states agonise and wish it were possible to bring back the days when Michael Okpara and Sam Mbakwe presided over the affairs of the old Eastern Region and the Old Imo State, respectively. These were real men who exhibited leadership qualities and their wives played significant roles behind the scene. It is on record that the late Dr. Basil Nnanna Ukegbu built the big auditorium named Adanma Okpara Hall in his school in the 1960s at Imerienwe, Ngor Okpala, Imo State, in honour of Okpara’s wife, who was a motivational force for advancement of southeastern women in political economy of the region and Nigeria in general.
Some of the southeastern states under reference have experienced bad governance perpetrated by the governors with the obvious and ardent support of their wives. Fortunately, some of the governors’ wives have shown themselves able champions for good governance, who gave active encouragement to their husbands to deliver useful dividents of democracy to people in their states. The role of a wife to her husband’s is not all about food and activities of the other room. If that be the case, French President Emmanuel Marcon would not have married Brigitte Trongneux, who was his drama teacher and even 25 years older than him. His blonde and elegant wife is said to have always “stood rock solid behind him.” Further, it is known that his wife writes all his speeches before he addresses the congress or any gathering. Some still live in awe how a 44-year-old man would prefer to marry a 69-year-old woman and live happily with her. Only Marcron knew what he saw.
Now, the question is: how many of today’s wives whose husbands are pursuing political ambitions are willing and ready to learn how to be in the big office? How many would ‘stand rock solid’ behind their husbands in situations of crisis? How many can write their husband’s speeches perfectly well, stand firm in good governance without corruption? How many of these women are getting ready to do the needful and render responsible service?
Another question begging for answer is this: are they getting ready for the juicy office just to shine and receive awards they do not merit?
Over the years, we have also seen that quality leadership can work well with humility. In such character, we have seen the likes of Mrs. Margaret Obi, former First Lady of Anambra State and wife of Peter Obi, the presidential standard bearer of the Labour Party in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. She remains an epitome of a first lady because her husband made it so. She had no “Office of the First Lady and all the paraphernalia attached to it, but was in full support of her husband’s efforts to liberate, develop state and grow its economy.
Another great woman who in the corridors of power is Erelu Bisi Fayemi, First Lady of Ekiti State. She is a gender specialist, policy advocate, feminist and human rights activist. Erelu Fayemi will always be remembered with the story she shared in Uganda at the Women’s Leadership Institute titled, “Women where are your wrappers? Bring out your wrappers, so others will bring theirs out for you.” To her, the wrappers that women bring out to shield a fellow woman signify protection, solidarity, sisterhood, empathy, kindness, compassion, duty and all the things that make us human beings. In the market in Uganda where the incident happened, she described it as an unspoken protocol among the women. It is a declaration that is deep and which any man can understand. Mrs. Fayemi believes and expects that every woman should hold her own place, be educated and empowered at all level.
It is worrisome that some women who walked close to men in the corridors of power also acted scripts written by their husbands. Mrs. Obi’s successor, Mrs. Ebele Obiano, was a different character from her predecessor. Her tenure ended with a hot slap from Iyom Bianca Ojukwu, wife of the late warlord himself, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Her attitude had once earned her warning from the former First Lady, Dr. Mrs. Patience Goodluck, who on one occasion advised her to learn how to be a first lady, after she allegedly showed contempt to Senator Uche Ekwunife during an international conference.
The likes of Mrs. Chioma Ikedi Ohakim and Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, quickly come to mind because they were birds of the same feather, who flocked together. Both were power drunk just like their husbands. Their similarities focused on poor leadership style, according to media reports. It was known that Ohakim’s wife hated to see any other woman wear the same outfit like hers including Ankara – as common and popular as the fabric is in Nigeria. Anyone who dared her must go and remove it. Nkechi Okorocha succeeded Chioma as First Lady and exhibited. Both were not like France’s Brigitte Trongneux or the former great and globally respected German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
In the same league of misconduct in office, Lagos State Assembly member, Mojishola Alli-Macauley, representing Amuwo Odofin 1, diverted palliatives meant to be given out to people in constituency during the lockdown. Instead, she hoarded and rebranded the stock of palliatives. After the perfidy was exposed, she claimed that she was waiting to distribute the items as souvenir, to mark her birthday.
It is commonly said that behind every succesful man is a woman.
Being the wife of a person who holds a very important political leadership position entails great responsibilities. The office is not only for ‘milikki’ sake. What applies to the wives of the presidential and governorship candidates as well as their running mates also applies to other elective offices.
The primary purpose is render service to the people by delivering good governance. Wives are to nudge and encourage their husbands to consistently seek to cut down the cost of governance. This will ensure the availability of enough funds to be invested in worthy public infrastructure like schools, hospitals, skill acquisition centres as well as supporting the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in states. You can start small from your constituency, empower the youths, pay for WASSCE/GCE examinations, give scholarships, because education remains the best legacy in the world. The position is not meant to be used enrich your family, pastors, friends and aides.
Dear wives of emerging political candidates, the office your husband is about to occupy is not to promote frivolities and criminal material acquisition, to become overnight billionaires. Your goal should be to leave office on a high note like Angela Merkel.