Encomium
GENERAL Muhammadu Buhari (retd), got married to his first wife, late Safinatu Buhari (nee Yusuf) in 1971. Between them they had five children, four girls and a boy. But today, only three of the children are alive. Musa, the only male of the five children was said to have died at childhood, while the first daughter, Zulaihat, who was named after Buhari’s mother died in November 2012, of complications from sickle cell anaemia, two days after she delivered a baby in a hospital in Kaduna.
General Buhari divorced his first wife in 1988 after he was released from detention by General Ibrahim Babangida’s government.
Unconfirmed report had it then that the General divorced his first wife because she was frolicking with Babangida’s government despite warning her not to do so. The woman eventually died in 2006 of complications from diabetes.
However, in 1989, the General married another wife, Aishat, who was said to be a cousin of one of his friends.
Aisha Buhari was born in Adamawa State into the family of the first Minister of Defense, Alhaji Mohammadu Ribadu. She attended Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria where she bagged a Bachelors degree in Public Administration. She also has a diploma in Physiotherapy and Beauty Therapy.
She is also an alumnus of the famous Carlton Institute of London and Academy Esthetique Beauty Institute of France, Dubai, where she earned a post graduate diploma in Cosmetology and Beauty Therapy.
Mrs. Aisha Buhari also has five children four girls and a boy for the General. They are Aisha, Halima, Yusuf, Zarah and Amina.
THE OSINBAJOS
PROFESSOR Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo, the Vice President-elect was born on March 8, 1957, at Creek Hospital, Lagos. He had his primary education at Corona School, Lagos and his secondary education at Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos, between 1969 and 1975, where he did not only finish his WASCE in flying colours but also his Higher School Certificate (HSC).
The young Yemi gained admission to University of Lagos in 1975 to read Law. He graduated in 1978 with Second Class Upper and also won the University Graham Douglas Prize for Commercial Law.
He did his one year mandatory professional training at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1979. In 1980, he attended the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he obtained a Masters in Law.
While at Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, he did his internship at the law firm of Chief Obafemi Awolowo between 1978 and 1980 and his National Youth Service Corps at Bendel Development and Planning Authority. He became a lecturer at University of Lagos Law Department at 24 and a professor of law at 33.
He left lecturing briefly in 1988, when he was appointed Special Adviser to the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN). He was there till 1992 when he came back to the lecture class at University of Lagos.
While still lecturing, he established a law firm called Osinbajo, Kukoyi and Adokpaye between 1997 and 1999.
In 1999, after Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the Lagos State governorship election, he set up a Think Tank and Transition Work Group, that deliberated on strategies to transit from military rule to democratic government in Lagos State. Professor Oluyemi Osinbajo was the Secretary of this Think Tank Group.
Because of his contributions to the Justice sector in the Think Tank Group, he was appointed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in 1999, a position he held till 2007, when Tinubu left office after his second term.
From 2007, he became Senior Partner at the law firm of Simmons Copper Partners. He was also a Visiting Professor of Law, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.
Professor Osinbajo, from 2007 also remained one of the Think Tank cabinet members of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Other members of that group were Mr. Wale Edun, Yemi Cardoso, Dele Alake and Rauf Aregbesola.
This group led by Professor Osinbajo has been behind the annual colloquium organized to mark Asiwaju Tinubu’s birthday since he left office as the governor of Lagos State.
It was, therefore, not surprising when Tinubu gave him the Vice Presidential ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) on a platter of gold.
It is more like compensation for his loyalty and friendship way back 1999 when they first met.
Professor Osinbajo, aside being the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Redeemer’s University, he’s also a resident pastor at the Olive Tree House of Prayer for All Nations, Banana Island, a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Osinbajo is married to Oludolapo, the first daughter of late Otunba Ayodele Soyode, the third child of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo who died on April 10, 2011, after a brief illness. She was 66. Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo is herself a lawyer. She graduated from Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye.
Between Professor Osinbajo and his wife are three children – two boys and a girl.
– UCHE OLEHI
