Before now, each of them was sent to read and get excellent grades and come out and practice law brilliantly. Well, they did that, having all been so certified by the Nigerian Law School. However, unknown to the rest of us, they were in a ‘conspiracy’. But it is the type of conspiracy that the society approves of. And would be trooping to bear witness to the first phase of it on June 30th, 2023 at the Officers Mess of the National Defence College, Abuja, of all places.
That is when Agape Tafisu Upwenskeb Gani-Yoroms Esq and Imisioluwa Olowo Esq would undergo the traditional rites of being joined as husband and wife. And, on July 1st, 2023, the full wedding will follow. And Nigeria would have recorded one additional marriage of national security importance. Why?
The husband to-be is from the Southwest of Nigeria while the wife to-be is from the Northwest but they looked past their tribal differences and have decided to unite in love. It means that, as from July 1st, 2023, Nigeria would have added one more family of such combination and reaching closer to the critical mass needed to put behind our culture of unproductive emphasis on difference between the two geo-cultural components of Nigeria. This is why this is an approved or positive conspiracy by the couple, approved by all, particularly bride’s parents, Professor Pastor Gani Yoroms and his beloved wife, Pastor (Mrs) Beraka Yoroms, a Superintendent of Police (Retd). But no less the bridegroom’s parents who are also pastors, by name Pastor Olatunji and Pastor (Mrs) Omolola Olowo. They are absolutely happy with a potential union of lawyers, Agape and Imisioluwa having been called to the bar in 2020.
Of course, this type of marriage happens every now and then but we can only use one or two to illustrate the point that if Nigeria has a more critical (broader and deeper) definition of the concept of security, this kind of unions would be on the security radar – silently encouraged as a hegemonic strategy against politics of difference. As someone said during one of these conversations on Nigeria breaking up, do such discussions think of what Babangida’s children might think about that? Their father is from Minna which makes them northerners but their mother is from Delta State. And every now and then, we have a Babangida type marriage, this being one of it. Intervention is with a marriage that can be tagged a “Northwest – Southwest” union!
