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For Dele, Christmas day is coming fifteen days earlier on December 10th. His present ordeal represents a climax of the crucial role he has played in the political firmament of Nigeria. He will be rapturously celebrated on that day. The first time I encountered him was as the lawyer who perfected the title of a […]
Continue ReadingWhat I would call a routine conversation with a former Nigerian leader inspired this write-up. After expressing his concern about certain developments in the polity, the retired general said he was worried about how Nigerians keep promoting ethnic and religious sentiments at a time the country needed all the unity it can afford to make […]
Continue ReadingIn Nigeria and beyond, there has been a surge of support for Dele Farotimi, the lawyer, author, and publisher who was reportedly taken from his Lagos home by the police last week and transported to Ekiti State. Farotimi was alleged to have committed civil offences against Afe Babalola, a fellow lawyer and founder of Afe […]
Continue ReadingAfter many years of guarding oil pipeline installations, the Nigerian Army finally made its first high-profile arrest. It turned out to be a journalist! Investigative journalist and founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Fisayo Soyombo became the face of the Army’s eventual success in apprehending oil thieves. Of course, they regularly announce arrests of […]
Continue ReadingThe controversy surrounding the proposed adjustment to the formula for sharing the states’ portion of the Value Added Tax (VAT), especially the derivation component, in the tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu is yet to abate. What I find interesting is that many readers are asking for my take […]
Continue ReadingKemi Badenoch, Nigerian by birth, was recently elected Leader of the UK Conservative Party and Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition. She occupies the second highest position in the UK political world. She could become the UK Prime Minister after the next election. That is how politically important she is. She follows in the footsteps of […]
Continue ReadingIn 1992, Leon Mugesera, a senior politician in the then Rwanda ruling party, gathered a crowd of supporters at a rally held in the town of Kabaya. At the rally, Mugesera labeled the minority Tutsi as “cockroaches,” who must be eliminated. He then asked this East African ethnic group to go back to its place […]
Continue ReadingIt’s been very difficult for me to comment on the VAT component of the tax reform bills because of lack of data. President Bola Tinubu has proposed to increase VAT derivation from 20 percent to 60 percent. This has led to political pushbacks and media war. Proponents argue that the bill is so good it […]
Continue ReadingThe Nigerian regional system was once a beautiful political structure that governed every facet of Nigerian life. This structure successfully held sway in the West, North, and East until 1966. It began to disintegrate after the coup that led to the assassination of its prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and other prominent Premiers and […]
Continue ReadingLast week, when I saw the myriads of social media posts criticising newspaper columnist and TV presenter, Dr. Reuben Abati, over his comment on Arise TV on the issue of the Igbo not selling land to non-Igbo, I searched for the video and watched it in full to hear his exact words and understand the […]
Continue ReadingThe rule of law is underwritten by fundamental assumptions. One, that the law is fair to all and that citizens can approach the court expecting to obtain justice irrespective of their station in life. Two, that judges who interpret the law and dispense justice will be above reproach and remain impartial. Three, that an independent, […]
Continue ReadingDuring a brief meeting between father and son, the late President John Kennedy reportedly asked: “Dad, can you lend me some money?” Seeing the look of disapproval from his father to what had evidently become incessant demand, Kennedy was said to have added: “Don’t worry dad, this time I will pay back.” The late ambassador Joe Kennedy (Sr) laughed and said to his son […]
Continue ReadingFor many years now, there have been call for political and economic restructuring of Nigeria. The rationale for this is to make Nigeria’s federalism to be more effective and efficient. It is also geared towards bridging marginalisation and discrimination gaps. However, in order to streamline issues around the concept of restructuring, the All Progressives Congress […]
Continue Reading“I hear that the National Assembly has approved the external borrowing of a $2.2 billion for the Tinubu administration to address the fiscal deficit in the 2024 budget.” “Bros, I tire. I just tire. What on earth do they do with all these borrowings?” “There is actually a $9.17 billion deficit in the 2024 budget, […]
Continue ReadingThere is a shrinking feeling about it all. With each off -season election that is conducted and results announced, we feel smaller and more unfree as a polity. Our elections bring about more insecurity; unpopular electoral outcomes require goons and thugs to protect illicit incumbents. And of course a larger number of election related court cases spring […]
Continue ReadingIn a gripping but evergreen musical rendition of a Yoruba fictional folksong, late Fuji music lord, Ayinde Barrister, once deployed the canvas of the forest to paint the inequality of the world. In his Fuji New Waves album, he also depicted the acrimonies that follow the sharing of jointly hunted games. What the anecdote tells […]
Continue ReadingThere is the legend of a newspaper journalist who had an issue with his uncle, an oba in present-day Osun State, and threatened the king with death. The man needed a favour; the oba closed his eyes to the man’s demand. “Kabiyesi, you will die,” he reportedly informed the oba. “Iku boo?” Everyone who heard […]
Continue ReadingCall her naïve but she spoke the minds of millions. I am talking about the woman interviewed by TVC during the Ondo state governorship election last weekend. Asked how the voting went, the woman, speaking in Yoruba, said: “Everything went peacefully. We have voted and we have collected money. Everything went well.” A lady (probably […]
Continue ReadingAn issue is currently causing a dear friend sleepless nights, yet the child involved is not even hers. It’s just the heart of a mother that’s at work. Before going into the story, I have appeals to make to my fellow women today. Make sure that in your “wonderful” circle of friends, you have at […]
Continue ReadingA few weeks ago, I spoke at a symposium in my university here in Georgia on the implications of the U.S. presidential election for the African diaspora. To the bemusement of my audience (who were a mix of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris supporters), I explained the curious phenomenon of African support for Donald Trump, […]
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