Tag: sahara reporters

In all of his 69 — 79 years in this world, how many times has Bola Tinubu, the man who could be the next president of Nigeria, visited the South-East? I guess that it may not be up to a dozen times. He didn’t go there to school, compete in debate, quiz or Koran recital challenges. He surely didn’t go there on a school excursion to visit a major dam or a game reserve. Who wants to cross the Niger River just to visit Ogbunike Cave, Ngwo Pine Forest or…

The British royalty and political system, faced with two international criminal suspects: Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II, and Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, took two different and contradictory positions. Andrew the son of the House of Windsor had committed his alleged case of raping an underage girl not in a Third World country where he might even have been praised for spreading British civilisation, but in the United States, US, a country birthed by Britain which is forever striving…

The biggest problem facing the Peoples Democratic Party is that it lacks political intelligence. When a party is populated by political wheeler-dealers, there is hardly any way to make a sound judgement.  The PDP has two governorship elections to battle with in Ekiti and Osun states, in June and July this year. The Iyorchia Ayu-led national body and its governors’ forum have not shown any determination to win these two states, but they are already dreaming of winning Lagos. They are building from the top because they love jamborees.  This…

The last months of Buhari’s government is filled with a devastating feedback loop of macroeconomic and social issues, coupled with another outcome of the gravest forces of our time: economic inequality. Of course, the existing issues like extreme poverty, high cost of living, insecurity, and more deepen inequality; likewise, inequality worsens the spread of these issues especially in the rural communities. Regardless of opinions, the regime will be judged on these facts. Notwithstanding, widening income inequalities is the most defining challenge of our time, as noted by American President Obama…

When preparation unites with expectations and opportunity – results happen. For every feat, there must be diligent preparation and effort. Nothing takes shape in disarray, grumbling and victim complex. We, the Igbo, cannot sit by the Rivers of Babylon and lament our way to the presidency. We cannot have what we are not ready or prepared for.  If work had been put in by Igbo political leaders in the past six years — forging alliances and mobilising consciences — the right atmosphere would have been created for the zoning of…

Here’s one of the defeatist narratives the corrupt ruling class are forcing down the throats of Nigerians. “The alternatives don’t have structures”. I have ruminated over this for a while and I can tell you for a fact that it’s a lie. The people and parties you claim have structures but still move around with bullion vans on election day don’t have real structures or real influence. They are only leveraging on the poverty they’ve created. It’s the truth.  I then also ask, where was the structure for EndSARS? Yet…

The 2023 presidential poll in Nigeria promises to be an interesting electoral contest featuring giants and lilliputians. Giants like the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and APC’s Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And lilliputians like the Ebonyi state Governor, Dave Umahi, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, ex-Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim and a host of other undeclared candidates. Since President Muhammadu Buhari would not be participating in the poll (having served out his second uneventful tenure) the race would be crowded. Yet, in the end what matters most is our collective ability to use…

Lagos being one of the largest economies in Africa and known to be center of excellence should always espouse policies that would be enduring and sustainable. Against this backdrop is the news making the rounds regarding the purchase by Lagos state govt of some trains from the city of Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin, USA. This city, with an estimated population of 575,580 people had rejected these same set of trains for their rail system eleven years ago due to apparent structural and operational deficiency. In effect, the trains…

My wife occasionally jokes that my stressful, high-strung lifestyle could mean I’ll die before her. I’ve hardly paid any attention, until recently. Three weeks ago, we both visited a friend who lost his father on New Year’s Day. The deceased was over 90. We went in company with my friend and neighbour who also came along with his wife. We met two other friends at the home of the bereaved family. Before we departed, the five men — including our bereaved friend — took pictures. I didn’t make anything of…

Nigeria’s political space has been bustling with life since the visit of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to the seat of power to announce his presidential ambition. Ever since that visit, the political atmosphere has worn a new look.  National discourse now centres on politics and the media are filled with all kinds of narratives. The cacophony of noise from spin doctors and social media warriors has been deafening. Yet this is just the beginning. The tempo will naturally increase in the days ahead…