Interview with IBB

It didn't ever occur to me that I would have the good fortune to be invited to the Minna Mansion to speak with the General himself. If you realize that the General generates daily political discourse more than the subject of AIDS in Nigeria today, you would realize why I consider myself truly fortunate to hear from the horse in 'person'. Apart from being one of the most talked about in contemptorary Nigerian discourse, the General avers that he has never been known to bring himself from that high horse of his, to be interviewed by those he perceives as his subordinates. He was a former military president who some love to hate mostly on account of the June 12 palaver and on the insinuation that he is the great godfather of corruption in Nigeria. And if he thinks I am one of his subordinates then, why invite me to be his guest in Minna and talk about his future political aspiration? Why not some big editor of some big newspaper? I cannot tell why, but I took the first flight from tickets he provided, from Lagos to Abuja on that Monday morning. On arrival at the airport, a couple of guys who identified themselves as his employees drove me in a very comfortable jeep straight to the Hill. Throughout the three-hour drive to the Hill, I kept wondering why I accepted to do this, to conduct this unstructured interview. And if I was to rely on what I had been told about the General concerning his keeping his appointments, I would say that they were dead on target - It did not take me too long to meet him. At close range, his toothy smile was very charming despite the aura of power that pervaded him and which he exuded. If I had not seen that kind of opulence elsewhere of which his mansion is, surely, I would have been intimidated beyond measure. But a strong curiosity to find out the stuff of which he is made of and why he has chosen to make nonsense of his maradonic reputation at the polls took a stronger hold of me.

Therefore, I suggest that we postpone the gist about that mansion of his for another day. The interview session was a stormy one and the General was his vintage self, as you would see hence. Enjoy.

Bob: Good afternoon, sir!