If Evans, the notorious kidnapper, has sympathisers, and advanced fee fraud has its defenders, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria cannot be expected to have any less support.

Bukar Abba Ibrahim’s video tape, an aftermath of a sexual affair, is eliciting comments from the media, with different views on the morality and appropriateness of his act. Senator Ibrahim is a former Governor of Yobe state where his laws were targeted at checking unwholesome practices.

Matters of infidelity are usually to be determined by the partners involved, in this case the Senator and his wife. The dynamics vary and we may not be in a hurry to preclude her feelings. Internet relationship “experts” will begin to prescribe dos and don’ts for her when she should really be left alone. But as much as it is right to leave her out of the circus, it is almost inevitable that she will be mentioned.

While the question of legality to cheat or have his moments with other persons outside of his wife cannot be dug into, being his private personal matter, Senator Ibrahim is a public figure who represents the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Despite the enlightenment now provided by the media today, there remains the tendency for observers outside of Nigeria to make generalisations about the character and leadership in the country. Their theories are still very much a derivative of the acts of public officials.

Bad news surely does sell more than good. Even in the age where persons like Nathaniel Bassey gets into CNN for good news and Isha Sessay’s willingness to share amazing stories about kind Nigerian doctors, we are still seen as that third world of many flaws. Indeed, Senator Ibrahim’s fling will not just reflect on Nigeria but on the whole of Africa.

The Africa of poor, diseased, malnourished and uneducated people, will have another dirty tag added to its already too easily generalised portfolio.

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