Opinion

  THE debate on which zone produces Nigeria’s president in 2023, which is not new, has gained gravitas with the defection of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Umahi claimed he defected because the PDP has never zoned the presidency to the South East since the return to civil rule in 1999, despite the massive support the party enjoys in the zone. Worse still, in his view, the PDP does not seem keen on doing so in 2023. But he did not say whether the APC apparatchik promised…

Yesterday, the 19 Northern governors, national Assembly members from North, traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders and strategic intellectuals from the North met in Kaduna, a city renowned for its long history of hosting some of the most strategic gatherings and if you must, conspiracies, of the North. The Inspector-General of Police was also present, and you know what, the media was just allowed to take pictures before the main meeting commenced, in strict confidentiality. They give to the media what they want the media to get. The North is not more homogeneous than the South like some people have…

One thing I have come to understand about the present Abia State government and her methods aimed at covering the abysmal performance we have witnessed in the past 6 years is to recruit a regiment of jobless youths that have come to classify themselves as media Practitioners, (at least they feel so within themselves). And to give value and credence to their henchman jobs, they are called Aides to "His Excellency" to give them sense of duty and belonging. But I am not perturbed by their antics as I will continue to call spade a spade at any point in…

Nigeria has a reputation for being the world poverty capital. Poverty in Nigeria is socially constructed, economically circumscribed and politically weaponized. In Nigeria, two diametrically opposed groups exist - the politicians and the people. While the politicians flaunt in ostentatious display of looted wealth, the poor masses wallow in poverty of multidimensional proportion. Deeply rooted in the Nigerian system are systemic corruption, entrenched injustice and structural violence. All these variables combined conduces to psychological brutalizations, economic deprivations, social exclusion and political marginalization. Over the years, genuine agitations for restructuring and institutional reforms have been responded with resistance and sometimes use…