Like her or hate her, you cannot ignore Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Dr. Patience Jonathan. She may well be the most popular first lady in Nigeria. Her popularity or notoriety depending on how you choose to describe her does not stem from any superlative program conceived under her first ladyship, but from her occasional grammatical gaffes.

She is the opposite of everything that endears people to her husband; authoritative, crude, arrogant, ambitious, controversial, cantankerous etc, are adjectives that can be used to describe her style. Dame wields power with imperial arrogance. When she comes to town, she shuts down traffic with her fleet of cars.

She brooks no opposition and does not suffer fools gladly. To go against her is akin to standing on the way of a moving train. When Timipre Sylva dared the Dame, he was thrown to the dogs. If not for the rare courage of the recalcitrant Governor of Rivers, he would’ve been cut to size, even at that, her men has ensured that Amechi’s last months in office are less than memorable.

To be clear, not everything about the Dame is Ugly, she is a great mobilzer and campaigner. Her love and support for her husband is commendable. Perhaps it is in repayment of that support that more women have been appointed into key positions in this government. The Dame of Aso rock would be better appreciated if she confines herself to the sidelines giving her husband the much needed advice and focusing on her pet projects.

Dame loves the spotlight but unfortunately, she lacks the elegance and finesse that should accompany such luxury. Her intervention during the mismanaged abducted Chibok girls saga, earned her public opprobrium instead of applause. Her commendable attempts to woo women for her husband’s reelection, has been enmeshed in a comedy of controversies. Words undignifying of her high office has been severally employed by her to castigate her husband’s major opponent.

The Dame should understand that her position as the wife of the President comes with certain august demands on her carriage and disposition. She represents the Nigerian women and must at all times strive to embody the positive virtues of the ideal African mother.

All hail Mama peace! GEJ till 2019!!!

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