NIGERIA, Dec. 9 -- Nigeria's political system is full of peculiar traditions, some constitutional, many not, and a few that simply survive because the country continues to embrace them as part of its democratic theatre. The office of the First Lady sits squarely in that third category. It has no legal mandate, no constitutional recognition, no formal responsibilities, and no structural framework defined by law. Yet, it remains one of the most visible and emotionally charged positions in the public space.

Every administration inherits it. Every President's wife occupies it. And every First Lady, sooner or later, stamps her personality on it, through glamour, controversy, policy influence, public disagreements, or memorable public moments....