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In my experience of presidential elections in Nigeria, I must necessarily admit that 2023 is the most dramatic so far — and something tells me I have not seen anything yet. I am not talking about the drama of candidates winning or losing in unexpected places. That is lovely. That is what I live for […]
Continue ReadingDuring lunch with a Fulani friend some weeks ago, he sounded so relieved that power was shifting to the south with the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next president. “It is now the turn of Yoruba people to be profiled and stigmatised. The captions would soon change to ‘Yoruba terrorists’ and ‘Yoruba […]
Continue ReadingThe victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election has answered one or two questions about our nationhood — but it has, at the same time, left many salient and latent issues hanging. Now we know a south-west Muslim can be elected president of this ethno-religiously complex country. Before, it appeared […]
Continue ReadingWith five Bolt drivers cancelling on me (they are, after all, never reliable), I opted for the taxi at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The driver, whom I will simply call Frank, was softspoken and friendly, so much so I did not haggle when he told me the fare was N7,000. I asked […]
Continue ReadingWow! The inevitable disputes aside, what an amazing presidential election we just had! Surely one of the most extraordinary in our history. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), losing at home to Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeating […]
Continue ReadingNigerians renewed their desire for a better country yesterday when they went to the polls to elect the next president, 108 senators (no election in Enugu East because of a candidate’s death) and 360 members of the house of reps. Two weeks from now, they will elect 28 governors and 993 state lawmakers. After inauguration, […]
Continue ReadingThe hour is at hand. Nigerians are about to pick a new president. I am ignoring the orchestrated crises and keeping my eye on the ball. We have done elections successfully since 1999 and I am confident that this too will come and go, no matter the odds, no matter the sinister gameplan. Next Saturday, […]
Continue ReadingMillions of Nigerians have been going through hell in the last few weeks as a result of the change in the colours of the national currencies. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced what it called “naira redesign programme” in October 2022 and said the new N1,000, N500 and N200 notes would go into circulation […]
Continue ReadingAs a student of development, I have patiently studied the trajectories of several nations — Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the US, the UK, Norway and some developing countries — and I have a confession to make this morning: it is only in Nigeria that people blame their underdevelopment on the constitution. I admit that we are […]
Continue ReadingMay I seize this opportunity to send my deepest sympathies in advance to whoever succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2023. The next president is going to inherit an agelong and entrenched misconception in Nigeria: that the progress of the country rests solely on his shoulders. That is what I have observed since we transited […]
Continue ReadingNigeria is a rich country. You have heard this a million times, haven’t you? What exactly do people mean by “Nigeria is rich”? They believe we have enough money to build all the roads in every nook and cranny of the federation, provide piped water to every house, build world-class hospitals in every village, and […]
Continue ReadingTwo years ago, when Senator Uba Sani, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna state, pushed through a major reform of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Act, many Nigerians missed the fine print. AMCON had been set up by the federal government in 2010 to prevent another round of […]
Continue ReadingMy friend sent me a WhatsApp chat shortly after President Olusegun Obasanjo announced his endorsement of Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. “What does the Obasanjo endorsement mean?” he asked. I smiled to myself and replied: “It means he is bored!” Like him or hate him, Obasanjo is a headline maker […]
Continue ReadingWhen you are told there is a problem, what is your response? There is the “ntor” corner that will usually gloat: we told you so, we warned you, serves you right, etcetera. There is the corner that amplifies the problem with the help of innovative superlatives and unrivalled adjectives. In another corner, they are more […]
Continue ReadingThe best way to enjoy electioneering seasons is to be emotionally detached. The moment you are a player — or you are emotionally invested — you cannot have fun to the fullest. There will be too much tension and excitement racing through your blood. Too much prejudice will block your sight. You will cry when […]
Continue ReadingNearly 10 years ago, my childhood friends and I bought land in the village. My thinking was that I would, once in a while, spend the weekend at the countryside to experience a different ambience away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos — my home for the past 33 years. I had to abandon […]
Continue ReadingIn October 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel over its occupation of the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula, two Arab territories. With the now-defunct Soviet Union (read Russia) backing Egypt and Syria, the US automatically queued behind Israel. Arab countries, in solidary with Egypt and Syria, retaliated by placing an oil […]
Continue ReadingIt has now become a tradition for me to analyse the psychology of the Nigerian voter ahead of every general election. Why? I am sitting in my balcony watching people pass by as they argue and pontificate on who will win — or who should win. I hear people argue about merit, power rotation, generational […]
Continue ReadingIn 1996, my cousin, born and raised in Kaduna, came visiting us in Lagos. In fact, she came to start her tertiary education. We were driving one Sunday evening when she saw a dead body on the expressway near Charly Boy bus stop. The body had apparently been mutilated by a number of speeding vehicles. […]
Continue ReadingFirst, a caveat: I am not in the business of endorsing or demarketing any presidential candidate. But what Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP flagbearer, said in Kaduna last weekend generated so much heat that I felt compelled to throw in my perspective. Speaking to a group of northerners at the interactive session of the Arewa […]
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