Nigeria, April 11 -- Uncle Chido, as he is fondly called by me and by many of his younger friends and mentees, is one of the most humble people I have been privileged to know. If humility were a person, it would be Uncle Chido. He does not merely wear humility like a garment; he embodies it. It shows not only in his appearance, but also in the way he speaks and in his disposition toward life. I have no doubt that this rare quality will feature prominently in many of the tributes that will be written about him as he marks his 60th birthday.

I first met Uncle Chido in 2010 during the preparations for the 2011 general elections. A friend had invited me to join a group of passionate young people who believed in the candidacy of Mallam Nuhu R...