In a new article he posted on social media
titled “PMB and the Descendants of Shimei”,
Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on
Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, asked
Nigerians wishing ailing President Buhari
death, to remember that they would reap
what they sow. Read the article below
There is nothing new under the sun, goes a
popular saying. In fact, the more things
seem to change, the more they appear the
same. From time immemorial, some people
have spoken evil of leadership, cast
aspersions on them, and generally portrayed
themselves as scum of the earth. No matter
how a country loves its leader, there will
naturally be those that the Good Book calls
“filthy dreamers” who “despise dominion,
and speak evil of dignities.” That is why as
spokesman to President Muhammadu
Buhari, I never respond to such people.
Their type would always be around.
President Buhari has been indisposed since
the beginning of the year. It is human, and
presidents, despite their elevated status,
remain human. If there is anybody who
considers himself 100 percent healthy, or
who bears what William Shakespeare calls “a
charmed life,” let that person stand up to be
identified. All mortals are doomed to
sickness, they can recover, and they can die.
That is the truth that has been internalized
by millions of people praying for the
recovery of our President. And that is where
the shallowness, vacuousness, and
hollowness of people who wish the
President dead, and carry unfounded
rumors, is on stark display. Filthy dreamers.
They speak evil of dignities, and despise
dominion. But we forgive them, for they
know not what they do. When President
Buhari returns (as God would make him do)
where would they hide their faces? In
shame.
Now, I started by saying we would always
have scumbags around. It is inevitable. They
are the descendants of Shimei, the son of
Gera, whom I want to introduce to you now.
Who is Shimei? Well, I met him on the pages
of the Good Book, and he bears striking
similitude to some people in our country
today. The evil wishers, the hate monger,
and those who spend their days
conjecturing tragedy for leadership.
Absalom, the son of King David, had led an
insurrection against his father. And the king
of Israel fled, with some of his supporters in
tow. As David got to a place called Bahurim,
the Holy Bible records that Shimei, the son of
Gera, a man of the family of Saul, came out,
and started cursing the fleeing king. You
don’t kick a man that is down, goes a
saying, but Shimei not only cursed David, he
also threw dust and stones at him. It was a
show of shame.
David had succeeded Saul as king of Israel.
And Shimei was from the family of Saul
(read, People’s Democratic Party, PDP).
Shimei hadn’t forgotten the bloody nose the
family of Saul got, when the kingship was
taken away from them, and given to David.
So when the latter got into a time of travail,
no pity at all from people still smarting from
bloody noses.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), inspired
by Muhammadu Buhari, halted the 60-year
pipe dream of PDP at the polls in 2015. Has
the latter forgotten? No, they won’t forget
till forever. But so much is the animus, the
antipathy towards the President that they
wish him dead. While millions of Nigerians
are praying, some elements are rejoicing,
and imagining evil. But they forget: man is
not God, and Jehovah always has the final
say. The descendants of Shimei need to
learn vital lessons from their forebear.
As the base fellow assaulted the fleeing king,
Abishai, one of David’s mighty men,
said:”Why should this dead dog curse my
lord the king? Let me go over and take off
his head.”(2 Samuel, 16:9). But David
restrained him, saying if God had not
permitted Shimei, he could not have done
what he was doing.
President Buhari has tolerated people who
have called him all sorts of names in the past
two years. If he didn’t move against them
directly, he could have allowed many
Abishais to move against them, “and take off
their heads.” But not our President, a
reformed democrat, a pious man, who has
resolved to leave the people suffused by
hatred unto God. And will they get their just
desserts one day? As night follows the day,
they will. If not from man, they will get it
from God. Their forefather, Shimei did. He
reaped what he sowed.
