Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un
I received the news of the passing of my dear friend, Ahmadu Abubakar, with little surprise but a deep sadness. He had been fighting cancer for a few years and in our last conversation, he said things were not going well. Still, I suppose we always hold out hope even faced with the greatest odds against success.
Ahmadu and I have been friends since about 1993 and we have been through much together. Some suggested, even in those days, that he was struggling with "personal demons" and many were put off by his often brusque style and his sometimes non-traditional ways of communicating. It is evident to me now that he did struggle with "demons," although with a greater understanding of his life and his attitude, many of those so-called demons were not merely within him but manifest in the world of Nigerian politics and business.
Ahmadu was well-known before accepting a position in the Constitutional Conference engineered by Nigeria's military leader General Sani Abacha. From that time forward, Ahmadu refused repeated offers of positions or wealth to moderate his strong belief in Nigeria's democratic project and to air his differences with the northern elders in Nigeria over their approach the the national federation. His many critiques (and even criticisms) remain valid today and many of his demons are regarded as Good Citizens, as described by Eddy Grant in the old soca tune of the same name. (Ahmadu, I know how you love to quote Bob Marley, but I thought this one was more appropriate.)
Ahmadu and I had many adventures and spent hours discussing the future of Nigeria and mankind in general. One particular event that I remember fondly is from December, 2002. Ahmadu agreed to accompany me to Belfast for the wedding of my brother-in-law. In that cold, dark land far from the warmth of Nigeria, we had several days to explore the meaning of life and the universe. One of our favorite arguments was whether world events were predestined or influenced by the exercise of free will and this topic consumed many of our idle hours interspersed with random encounters with some colorful characters in the inns of Northern Ireland. We were to leave at an early hour on our final day but we managed to get ourselves together and get to the airport in time for our all-important connecting flight that would carry us back to Abuja. Imagine our concern when, on arrival, we found the airport to be closed and all flights grounded due to low-lying clouds and rain. Our discussion of pre-destiny seemed to be appropriate to our situation and as we watched the clock tick towards the deadline for our London connection, we were resigned to a disruption or our travel plans. However, at the last possible minute, the rising sun broke through the overcast sky and the buzz of activity in the airport crescendoed to a roar. We arrived in London with a few minutes to spare and made our connection. Ahmadu triumphantly poked me in the chest and declared the argument finished. Without the hand of Allah, he said, we would have remained stranded in Belfast rather than returning home. Pre-destiny had triumphed.
With the passing of Ahmadu, I have not only lost one of my dearest friends, but Nigeria has lost a patriot. I can think of few other Nigerians so committed to their principles that they would turn down the opportunities offered, continue to struggle for their principles in the face of concerted approbation, and offer no apologies for their principled stance. May God grant you peace.