Goodluck Jonathan took his first decisive step by sacking the Yar’Adua’s cabinet on March 17, 2010 which coincides with the publication of Einstein’s “miraculous” paper on light quanta on March 17, 1905.

Jonathan was declared winner of the Nigerian presidential elections by INEC on April 18, 2011, the anniversary of the death of Einstein, on April 18, 1955.

Jonathan was sworn-in on May 29, 2011, the anniversary of the confirmation of the general theory of relativity as advanced by Einstein on May 29, 1919, described as the greatest discovery of the 20th century.

Einstein was a Physicist and Jonathan a Biologist. The 20th century has been described as the century of the Physicist and the 21st century that of the Biologist.

Within or outside the laboratory, would Jonathan write his name in the great books of history? Will Jonathan turn out to be a great discovery of the 21st century? Let’s wait for the verdict of time.

***

Of Abraham Lincoln and Obafemi Awolowo

There appears to be strange developments between the United States and Nigeria, particularly as it concerns Abraham Lincoln and Obafemi Awolowo.

Abraham and Obafemi have seven letters each and Lincoln and Awolowo also have seven letters each. Lincoln was born in the ninth year of the 19th century in 1809 and Awolowo was born in the ninth year of the 20th century, in 1909.

Lincoln and Awolowo were both hired out as labourers when they were young. Lincoln and Awolowo were both lawyers and both practiced up to the Supreme Court. Both were at first skeptical in their religious inclinations, before they were brought to religious conviction. As adults, both Lincoln and Awolowo studied Mathematics as a form of mental discipline.

Lincoln and Awolowo were Rosicrucians. Lincoln as a young man loved wrestling and relatedly Awolowo as a young man loved boxing. Lincoln presided over the civil war in his country to be described as the greatest American president and Awolowo was the chief strategist during the Nigerian civil war to be described as the best president Nigeria never had.

Lincoln and Awolowo both have universities named after them, the Lincoln University and the Obafemi Awolowo University. Lincoln as presidential candidate and Awolowo as presidential candidate were both endorsed by the Tribune newspapers of their respective countries. There is the Lincoln Museum and there is as well the Awolowo Museum.

•COINCIDENCES is a weekly column that appears on Wednesdays. The columnist, Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth, is based in England, Britain, but can be reached via e-mail through atogonub@hotmail.co.uk or info@newsexpressngr.com

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