3 lessons Nigeria’s First Lady needs to learn from Simone Gbagbo’s conviction

   

 

Former Ivory Coast First Lady, Simone Gbagbo was on March 10, 2015 convicted and jailed for 20 years following her part in the 2010-2011 post-election violence which erupted as a result of her husband, Laurent Gbagbo’s defeat at the polls.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) had indicted Mrs. Gbagbo and issued a warrant for her arrest but Ivory Coast refused to hand her over saying it would try her in its own courts.

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan is set to be investigated by the ICC after she was accused of making inciting comments.

Mrs Jonathan had urged her supporters to stone members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has also stated that her husband must spend eight years in office.

Here are three things that Mrs. Jonathan should learn from Simone Gbagbo’s conviction:

1. Nobody is above the law: Mrs Jonathan might be the wife of a President, but Mrs. Gbagbo was as well and she’s being made to pay for her actions. The long arm of the law might take a while to reach the high and mighty, but reach them it will.
2. Politics is not do or die: Mrs Jonathan has repeatedly implied that a second term in office for her husband is non-negotiable. She needs to understand that the final decision rests with the electorate. Mrs Gbagbo tried to ignore that fact and now she’s in prison.
3. First Ladies have influence too: Mrs Jonathan seems to underestimate the part that her words and actions play in influencing those of her supporters. She might not mean to incite violence but if she does so unwittingly, she will be held responsible.