Africa: Why does Burna Boy rock more than Nigeria’s elections?
By Azu Ishiekwene FROM Accra to Cape Town images of Nollywood, Nigeria’s popular movie footprint, are a common staple in homes across the continent as are the sights and sounds of its pop icons who are also amongst Africa’s biggest. When politics is on the menu, however, it does not appear that the rest of […]
Plateau, Lagos, Edo and other exciting election battles of today
By Emmanuel Aziken Nigerians go to the polls today to elect governors in 28 states of the federation. The eight states not conducting governorship elections, however, will join the other states in electing brand new state legislative houses. Given the constitutional powers of the state legislative houses in determining the fate of governors, it is […]
Integrity and INEC without Sango and Amadioha
By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo The last time Mr Festus Okoye was on television, he looked constipated. Okoye, who used to be the face of INEC, was the man that did most of the gospelising. Gifted with the soul-winning voice and mannerisms of an evangelist, Okoye had bragged about INEC’s preparedness for D-day and boasted about […]
Zik joined Ogboni in Lagos
By Emeka Obasi Lagos is too sophisticated for any group of individuals to divide along ethnic lines. Politicians are also tricksters, so the drums of war will not achieve anything at the end. The uninformed should learn from the experience of Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe. Zik was the first President of Nigeria. Born in Zungeru in the […]
Dancing in my ears
By Muyiwa Adetiba It was about an hour past midnight and I had just entered the next phase of sleep when I heard the sound. It was the unmistakable hum of a mosquito. Somehow, and not for the first time, a lone mosquito had invaded the privacy of my room. I ignored it, more in […]
‘Jos and the death of the Field Marshall’ — a small tribute!
*At dawn of March 13, 2023, the ’Field Marshall’ died. By Segun Odegbami The sound of messages bombarding my phone woke me up that morning. The first came from my former classmate and childhood friend, retired Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, and Captain our football and athletics teams in St. Murumba College, Jos, Mallam […]
The plight of widowers
By Francis Ewherido The dominant notion in Nigeria is that it is a man’s world. I will not dispute that assumption. Nigeria is a country where most ethnic groups are patrilineal. Consequently, the focus of NGOs and faith-based societies many a time is on the weaker sex who need protection. That is good, but I […]
2023 elections: Do we still need political parties?
By Adekunle Adekoya THE online version of Encyclopaedia Brittanica describes a political party as “a group of persons organised to acquire and exercise political power”. Political parties originated in their modern form in Europe and the United States in the 19th century, along with the electoral and parliamentary systems, whose development reflects the evolution of […]
INEC Server and other election day stories
By Azu Ishiekwene FOR the third time since 1999, I voted at a general election on February 25 and did so without much hassle. I knew my candidates would lose at the unit where I voted, but that didn’t matter. Voting mattered more. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, processed me so quickly it was […]
Challenges of a new African Ocean and Continent
By Owei Lakemfa AS we sleep, nature is ever awake, working. Even if we snore, it cannot be as loud as the rumbling Mount Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo which this week, is threatening to blow out as it did on May 22, 2011. The tragic flood Freddy which is ripping through […]
It’s been a loud silence from Buhari
By Rotimi Fasan BY the time you’re reading this, it would have been two full weeks, almost, to the day the Supreme Court overturned the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, delegitimising the use of the old N1000, N500 and N200 notes as legal tenders. Since that decision of […]
Toxicity of Tinubu’s Lagos politics
By Ikechukwu Amaechi AS I reflect on the happenings in Lagos State since the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, I cannot help but see the spectre of the 1994 Rwanda genocide unfolding before our very eyes. In the years leading up to the 1994 genocide, the Hutu-led government used all its propaganda machinery to […]
INEC: Nigeria’s institutions act irresponsibly with impunity… Sad!
By Olu Fasan EVERY nation fails or succeeds on the quality of its institutions. But every institution is as strong as the quality of its personnel, their competence and professionalism, their values and norms. Unfortunately, Nigeria is a country where state institutions utterly malfunction, bereft of any sense of responsibility, and where public officials have […]
Buhari’s legacy
By Hakeem Baba-Ahmed He who has never learned to obey can never be a good leader —Aristotle IF you had to list similarities between presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, you will be hard put to go beyond two or three that will not be violently disputed. For instance, you will get a nod if […]
APC Lagos’ panicky moment
By Ochereome Nnanna I LIKE Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, not just as a leader but also as human being. Although a bit of a “drama queen” who sometimes panders to the ephemeral, Sanwo-Olu is a hardworking governor. In four years, he completed his own landmark projects and many amenities left behind by his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode, […]
Philanthropy and sustainable development (2)
By Afe Babalola THE HARVARD CLASSIC EXAMPLE: The Harvard University, indisputably the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States of America, presents a perfect example of how a university should be funded. Founded in 1636, Harvard University derived its name from the College’s first benefactor, John Harvard of Charlestown, who, upon his death […]
