By Oluwafemi Popoola
The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and his brilliant and supportive wife, Dolapo, marked their 33rd wedding anniversary just a couple of days ago, precisely on 25th November. The massive outpouring of praise and love that Nigerians showed to Nigeria’s second family on their anniversary was heartwarming and sensational. Many Nigerians and top celebrities through social media came out in large numbers for the Osinbajos.
They expressed their minds following an Instagram post made by the VP’s wife congratulating the beautiful affectionate couple with captivating and powerful epithets. The same was the situation on the VP’s posts which also gained tremendous traction on social media.
Many also gushed excitedly at the pictures uploaded by the couple in separate posts on their social media handles where the two lovers were captured together with so much affection and sincere tenderness.
Among the avalanche of Nigerians and notable bigwigs who trooped the comment section box of the couple was a distinct comment, that caught the eye, made by the former Chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria, motivational speaker, and author, Ibukunoluwa Abiodun Awosika, who prayed for the family and had sweet words for them.
She wrote, “Happy anniversary to a most beautiful God-fearing and amazing couple. May the Lord surprise you daily as you walk into the many years ahead!”
What Awosika said are words of validation and portraiture of the widespread acceptance of the Osinbajos among the Nigerian people. The general view of the couple is demonstrated by the businesswoman’s powerful message as corroborated by other prominent Nigerians. And was that just a mere congratulatory gesture? All that can be said with certainty is that few politicians are God-fearing and honest with no apparent vulnerability and also possess the required integrity that compels respect. Vice president Yemi Osinbajo assuredly fell into, and atop that category.
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Dolapo Osinbajo in the same vein has kept her cool and has proven to be a very supportive partner. In the darkest of nights after the presidential primary election loss of her husband, she was not found wanting. She stood gallantly behind her husband and cheered him to move on when she wrote a beautiful and soul-lifting rhyme for the VP.
That’s what family does, isn’t it? No wonder she shared a recent image of herself and the vice president gazing intently at a letter that reads “Family is the greatest blessing.”
Despite being the granddaughter of Obafemi Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s founding fathers and most notable of Nigeria’s First Republic statesmen, she generally stays out of the spotlight but organizes philanthropic projects targeted at widows and against gender-based violence, and is usually the least flamboyantly dressed whenever the wives of public officials gather at functions. She is a great role model to millions of Nigerian women.
In a few months now, Nigeria will be saying goodbye to VP Osinbajo whose leadership capabilities have helped solve many social problems in the country. More so, a remarkable number of his compatriots persisted in believing that Osinbajo remains the best president Nigeria might have missed.
Overall, the wedding anniversary occasion presented a window of opportunity for Nigerians to express their untainted love for their beloved Vice President.
Osinbajo will vacate the office next year, precisely on May 29, 2023, the day his tenure expires exactly on the occasion of his eighth year in the office alongside his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari.
It was no surprise many Nigerians celebrated the VP enthusiastically which is an alien experience for traditional Nigerian politicians who are generally regarded as utterly contemptible. No Nigerian Vice President in our recent democratic history has ever enjoyed the goodwill and unsullied love from the Nigerian people as we have seen in Osinbajo. There must be something special about VP Osinbajo and ditto for his wife.
• Popoola is a political analyst, content analyser and news aggregator.
