…On Armed Forces Remembrance Day
There was a mild drama at the National Arcade Abuja on Friday, when President Muhammadu Buhari released some pigeons as a symbolic gesture during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.
Indeed the doves, otherwise known as white pigeons, refused to fly despite a couple of attempts by the President, an incident that has generated a debate across social media platforms.
The President had opened the birdcage at the National Arcade, picked up one of the doves, and threw it into the air but the bird landed atop the cage and refused to fly.
Buhari, who was eager to let the white pigeons fly, opened the roof of the cage in a bid to send them all out but the birds remained adamant and decided to sit on top of the roof the cage
The President, who appeared tired of trying, soon left the birds and returned to his seat. Moments after the President had left, however, some of the birds began to fly.
A similar incident happened in 2014, when then President Goodluck Jonathan released some doves but they refused to fly.
In reaction, the Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, described the incident at the time as a sign that God had abandoned the president.