By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo marked his 89th birthday not with quiet celebration, but with a characteristically frank discourse on the nature of power, using his own dramatic life story—from military commander to imprisoned dissident to democratically elected president—as the central case study.

Delivering a keynote address at an international colloquium in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Obasanjo described leadership as a double-edged sword: a profound burden that is also a deep privilege. The event, titled “Burden and Blessing of Leadership: Reflections from Global Africa to the World,” saw the elder statesman argue that the quality of a nation’s leaders is the primary determinant of its fate.

Obasanjo opened with a stark personal testament, recalling his imprisonment by the late military ruler Sani Abacha. He framed the experience not just as personal suffering, but as evidence of a core principle.

“My imprisonment proves the price of a principled stand,” he told the audience. “Leadership without principle is mere management. True leadership demands that you say no when yes would be more convenient — and that comes at a cost.”

He argued that many who seek power are seduced by its perks, underestimating the immense personal sacrifices required. Drawing on his experience commanding the Third Marine Commando Division during the Nigerian Civil War, he painted a vivid picture of leadership’s isolating core.

“There is the loneliness of the final decision,” Obasanjo explained. “When all the briefings have been received and all arguments made, you alone must decide. That weight does not distribute itself.” He recalled the final days of the war in January 1970, when he chose restraint to protect civilians. “No textbook told me what to do. The decision was mine alone,” he stated, underscoring the immense moral weight that leaders must carry.

Despite the hardships—including more than three years in detention—Obasanjo insisted he would choose the same path again. He spoke of the profound fulfilment found in service, describing Nigeria’s first peaceful transition from military to civilian rule in 1979, when he handed over power to Shehu Shagari, as one of the most rewarding moments of his career.

“There is the blessing of having been given the opportunity to matter—to serve at the hinge of history,” he reflected. “It was the relief of having been tested and not found wanting. The greatest burden a man can carry is his country on his shoulders. The greatest blessing he can also receive is that country’s gratitude. At 89, I now understand that the burden and the blessing are often the same.”

Shifting his focus from the personal to the continental, Obasanjo offered a sharp diagnosis of Africa’s struggles, arguing that the root cause is not a lack of resources but a failure of governance.

“Africa is richly endowed—with mineral wealth, vast arable land and the world’s youngest population. By every measure, we should be prosperous and stable,” he noted. “Instead, too much of our continent remains trapped in preventable suffering.”

He placed the blame squarely on poor leadership, weak institutions, and systemic corruption, warning of the fragility inherent in personality-driven governance. “When a country’s trajectory depends solely on the character of one person, that country is permanently fragile,” he cautioned.

Looking forward, Obasanjo called for a fundamental rethinking of the continent’s political and economic models. He urged leaders to adapt democratic systems to local realities without sacrificing the core principles of accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness.

He advocated for a massive investment in leadership development and institutional strengthening, emphasizing that sustainable progress requires systems that outlast any single individual. He also identified the global African diaspora as a critical, underutilized asset and urged governments to create conditions that encourage their engagement and investment.

On the economic front, Obasanjo pointed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a transformative opportunity that, if fully implemented, could reshape the continent’s global standing.

He concluded with a message of hope and a charge to the next generation, framing leadership as the key to unlocking the continent’s vast potential.

“Africa is not a problem to be managed,” Obasanjo declared. “Africa is a promise to be fulfilled — and leadership is how that promise gets kept.”

A fresh controversy has emerged in the ongoing case of Walida Abdulhadi, the young woman whose alleged abduction by a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, Ifeanyi Onyewuenyi, has sparked national outrage, as conflicting accounts of her age continue to dominate public discourse.

Walida’s father, Malam Abdulhadi, has strongly rejected a claim by the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, that his daughter was about 20 years old at the time of the alleged abduction. He described the minister’s statement as “baseless hearsay,” insisting that family records clearly show that Walida was a minor when she was taken.

Malam Abdulhadi questioned how a government official who is not a member of the family could determine the birth date of his daughter.

“The minister was not the one who gave birth to her,” he said. “I married her mother in 2007, and I can tell you that she was abducted when she was 16 years old. She only recently turned 18.”

He further dismissed references to what he described as a “strange indigene certificate” allegedly used to support claims about Walida’s age, arguing that the timeline of his marriage and family history provides a clearer basis for verification.

“Is the minister in a position to tell me the age of my daughter when she does not know when I got married to her mother?” he asked. “She should come out publicly and say what she said was not true. It is simply propaganda.”

Adding weight to the family’s position, Walida’s maternal uncle, Malam Yunusa Kani, also challenged the minister’s statement, insisting that the family’s records contradict the official narrative.

According to him, Walida’s mother was married in Anku in 2007 and gave birth to Walida the following year.

“We were witnesses to the marriage ceremony in 2007,” Kani said. “After about a year, the family was blessed with Walida’s birth in 2008. That is the fact. We do not know where the minister got her information.”

He urged the government to handle the matter with fairness and sensitivity, noting that the family had already endured significant emotional distress since the alleged abduction.

“She must remember that public officials will be held accountable for what they say. We plead with the government to take pity on us and ensure justice is done,” he added.

Walida’s younger sister, Fatima Abdulhadi, also spoke during the programme, offering further details about the family timeline.

“I am 14 years old, and my brother who was born after Walida is 16 years old,” she said. “Walida was abducted two years ago.”

Source: Veteran Journalist and a PR Guru Yushau Shuaibu

A former Kano State Commissioner for Finance, Professor Kabiru Isa Dandago, is dead.

The renowned accounting and taxation scholar passed away on Wednesday evening at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital after a brief illness.

Until his death, Prof. Dandago was a respected professor of Accounting and Taxation at Bayero University Kano, where he made significant contributions to academic research and financial studies.

His funeral prayers will take place at his residence in Rijiyar Zaki Kano by 9: AM