Opinion

I was fed up with the unendingly immature political melodrama and indiscipline of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary and national convention on June 7, which spilled over to June 8, but here are five key takeaways from it. 1. It exposed the inner circle of the Muhammadu Buhari regime as a weak, nerveless, internally incoherent, and disorganised junto. For years, Buhari’s inner circle, also known as the Aso Rock cabal, was united in its common resentment of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its determination to scupper his bid for the APC presidential nomination, but it had neither the strategy…

It's no longer news that Ahmed Tinubu has clinched the coveted APC Presidential ticket against all odds. He was able to maneuver several banana peels set by his close allies and foes alike. Tinubu's political sagacity is way beyond our media permutations. Many has attributed Jagaban's spread to his goodwill over the years, which only paved way for many of his sons to reciprocate his kind gestures. Obviously, President Buhari didn't see it coming. I took greater part of the night watching his facial expression, which weren't anything short of acrimony. But, Buhari had a debt to pay. His hands…

There's a burden most children of super great men always lived with, living behind the shadow of their fathers. Always been introduced as the son of this and that without really knowing the quality they are made of or the content of their characters. That was the burden that forced our great leader evergreen in our memory Chief Emeka Odinegwu Ojukwu the great Ikemba of Nnewi to do the unthinkable, by abandoning the business of his father Philip Ojukwu, who was the richest man in Africa then to join the Nigerian Army. To the world then he rebelled, but to…

Atiku won the PDP Presidential Primaries on Saturday the 28th of May 2023. But the assurance of the victory was concluded some 24hrs before the delegates elections. The main challenger Nyesom Wike had nearly over ran the whole country with massive deployment of resources and had actually overtaken the Crown Prince himself. Prior to the advent of the primaries ,the North had taken a pre emptive strike by installing a loyalist as the National chairman with ready acquiescence of pdp Southern leaders who believed naively that with that arrangement in place, a southern Presidential candidate was a certainty. The only…

There was apparent sigh of relief within the rank of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the decision of the former governor Abdulaziz Yari to embrace peace and work forf the party's success in 2023. Pictures of Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle and former governor Yari both in smiles and shaking hands at the party national headquarters in Abuja, which went viral on social media were balms that soothed a lot of hearts across the state and beyond. Before the national headquarters incident, pictures of the two leaders also in smiles appeared a night earlier with the national chairman of…

The news of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s withdrawal from the 2023 presidential race is now old and embedded in Nigeria’s memory. The Senate Chief Whip who is the highest political office holder in Igboland under the Buhari Administration, said he resigned in order to support his immediate boss who is angling for Nigeria’s number one political position. The lesson from Orji Kalu’s U-turn disposition must be seen in a different light, particularly at a time where Nigerians pay very little attention to the principles of humanity such as friendship, trust, patience, commitment and sacrifice. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu even in…

Even the holy book says beware of false prophets, undoubtedly we have reached another pivotal point in our political history again, a season where all and sundry throw their hats into the ring. There are those with the sheep clothing, and there are only a few with skin as tight as a tiger. A conundrum of manifestoes have ensued but there can only be one man for the job, which is why thumbs must tick only the best, tested and trusted political officers. This discourse focuses on that one man, who amongst other equals has proven to be a different…

Opinion pieces are meant to be intellectual engagements, which usually mirror the maturity, depth and inclination of the writers. Some end up educating; some even entertain; some pontificate; while others analyse with or without proffered solutions. Alas, one of the tragedies of the Nigerian communication environment is that some fine, illuminating writers find themselves, now and then, being sucked up into pulling people down in the name of politics. This is when the otherwise good writers are in a personal conflict, striving vainly to justify the unjustifiable. At this time, even when their prose remains florid, one painfully observes them…

Leading up to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, I have been observing with keen interest intriguing political developments as individuals, groups and regions busy themselves jostling for positions in line with their personal and corporate desires. Since only interests remain constant in the realm of politics, the scenario has witnessed a lot of horse trading, arm twisting and as expected stomach-churning betrayal by erstwhile trusted allies. Unfortunately, while some actors in the unfolding political drama are proactively playing out an already written script, others are only improvising reacting to moves initiated by the more prepared politicians. One subject that…