The Presidency, on Friday said the Pigeons release by president Muhammadu Buhari during the recently concluded Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony, could not fly because they were caged for a long period of time.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina made the clarification via a statement in Abuja.
AFRIPOST reports that it is a tradition for a sitting president to uncover cage containing pigeons during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony as a symbol of peace.
The 2021 edition of the ceremony did not go well as the pigeons refused to fly after Buhari released them from their cage.
Recall that Nigerians have in recent time, stormed social media to mimick the president as many argued that the pigeons’ refusal to fly was a sign of disunity and insecurity in the land.
Reacting, Adesina in an article titled: “Reflections from a wreath laying ceremony”, said: “When birds and some other roaming animals have been circumscribed for a while, they get accustomed to their new status as lawful captives. Therefore, when you offer them freedom, they first baulk, thinking it’s too good to be true. It’s a natural phenomenon.
“President Buhari opened the cage that held the pigeons, about a score or so. One hesitated, then flew, followed by another.
“The others temporized a bit. And then, two, three minutes later, they all took to the sky. Nothing extraordinary in the development, you would think.”
