The Uromi 16 And The Problem With Nigeria, By Reuben Abati

The killing last Friday of 16 Northern travellers along the Uromi-Ubiaja road in Edo state is an event that will live in infamy. Twenty-five travellers from Port Harcourt going home to the North, Kano specifically for the Eid el-fitri celebrations were intercepted by vigilantes along the way on the suspicion that they were kidnappers and […]

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Nasir El-Rufai’s Defections: PDP, CPC, APC, SDP, By Reuben Abati

Perhaps the most important political event, this week in Nigeria, so far, nobody knows if there would be a free-for-all fight in Rivers state tomorrow, or some melodrama in Osun state or elsewhere, before the week runs out – is the announced defection of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai from the All Progressives Congress party (APC) to […]

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Babangida’s book, By Reuben Abati

The most important event in Nigeria in the last week has been the publication and public presentation in Abuja, of a book titled A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida. In many ways, this should be perfectly understandable. General Babangida was Nigeria’s military ruler (1985-1993), although he styled himself President, to show as he argues […]

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Ayo Adebanjo and Alaperu Basibo: In Requiem, By Reuben Abati

There are some people who should not die, because of their goodness, their humanism, the great impact that they make within the community, family and sometimes, the nation at large. The death of good men or women diminishes us, a part of us leaves with them, but what endures ultimately is the lesson of their […]

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The coming Food Revolution in Lagos, By Reuben Abati

Over the years, a major received wisdom in Nigeria is that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, its real foundation for creating employment, livelihood and opportunities. Truly, it was the case that Nigeria used to boast of a thriving agricultural economy in crop production, livestock, forestry and fishing, with every part of the country […]

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Of wildfires, Los Angeles, Obasa and other human stories, By Reuben Abati

“I hope your daughter is safe” “We thank God. We are all fine. But which of my daughters do you have in mind?” “The one in California. When I read about the wildfires that destroyed over six areas in Southern California, it was you and your daughter that came to my mind. I called you […]

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Tinubu And The Future Of ECOWAS, By Reuben Abati

Two major meetings were held over the weekend that just passed that have implications for the future of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the possible resolution or otherwise of political developments among member-states in the last two to three years, with implications for the future of the sub-regional organization. ECOWAS was […]

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Reuben Abati and Davido as “cockroaches”, By Festus Adedayo

In 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 […]

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More loans, more pains and the season of discontent, By Reuben Abati

“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, […]

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The Lucky Man Of Ondo State, By Reuben Abati

The battle of the Ondo state Gubernatorial election 2024 has been won and lost, with Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa emerging as the new Governor-elect: 1. 757 million eligible voters, 85.6% PVC collection, 22,239 security officers deployed to enforce security, low voter turn-out, 17 candidates, slugging it out in 18 Local Government areas, 3, 933 polling units, […]

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The Storming, Stunning, Thumping Return of Trump, By Reuben Abati

“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain follies of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron” – […]

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Fire And The Ballot Revolution in Rivers State, By Reuben Abati

There is a fire and ballot revolution in Rivers state and the main victim that I can see for now in the burning fire is Nyesom Wike, former Governor of Rivers State, incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who is on record has having boasted garrulously that if anybody, a politician from any […]

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