‘Bowing honours him more’ — Ahmed Musa defends refusal to shake Kano governor
Ahmed Musa, Super Eagles captain, has broken silence concerning a viral video of him refusing to shake the hand of Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano.
Over the weekend, a clip of the 31-year-old winger meeting Yusuf and Amini Gwarzo, Kano deputy governor, circulated on social media.
In the footage, Musa goes down on his knees as he shakes Gwarzo’s hand, but the Eagles captain only bows respectfully before Yusuf and refuses the governor’s stretched forth arm.
The video incited mixed reactions online, with the majority saying Musa’s gesture towards the governor was disrespectful.
However, in a tweet on his X account on Tuesday, Musa described the clip as “a simple act of cultural respect blown out of proportion”.
He added that he “chose to bow and not shake his hands, honouring him in a way that is deeply rooted in tradition”.
“It has come to my attention that on a moment captured almost a month ago has unexpectedly become the centre of attention on social media,” the tweet reads.
“It’s disheartening to see a simple act of cultural respect blown out of proportion. In our Northern culture, the gesture of kneeling, shaking hands, etc, signifies the highest form of respect. This was my intention when I greeted the Deputy Governor in such a manner. However, when it came to greeting the governor, I chose to bow and not shake his hands, honouring him in a way that is deeply rooted in tradition.”
Musa said social media comments querying his respectfulness are “disheartening”.
He then urged Nigerians to channel their energy “towards finding solutions to the problems plaguing our society rather than getting caught up in needless distractions”.
“What’s even more disheartening are the comments questioning my respectfulness, especially from those who don’t know me personally. Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on where we choose to direct our energy. Shouldn’t it be towards finding solutions to the problems plaguing our society rather than getting caught up in needless distractions?”
I am of Northern extraction.
My father was a Chief.
I never shook his hand in public but bowed down to him.
Neither did I ever shake the hands of any Norther Emir, Chief or Traditional Title holder in public – I always bowed down to them.
Last time I saw SLS, the 14th Emir of kano at Heathrow Airport, I did not shake his outstretched hand but bowed down to him the foot of the escalator to the Business Lounge, in full glare of the public.
That is our culture – Musa did well!