GIVEN the bitter exchange of brick bats and allegations of graft between the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and other Institutions, Hon Herman Hembe, on March 15, it was obvious that the matter would end in the law court.

ONLY in Niger, a state that styles itself as the Power State could such power play be imagined. Before now the Niger State House of Assembly had already won the dubious record of having elected a Speaker that served for only two days. That was Ndako Kpaki. His predecessor, Mohammed Alkali spent a lengthy three months.

In the latest intrigue to cloud the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State, one of the major parties issues a caveat emptor on the election. Should democracy stakeholders beware?

It was different strokes on Monday in Enugu as the judgment of the Federal High Court on the pre-election candidature of Governor Sullivan Chime distilled in the Coal City State.

It is barely 100 days that erstwhile member of the House of Representatives, former Commissioner for Justice and former policeman turned lawyer, Serikae Dickson, was inaugurated as governor of Bayelsa State. Dickson’s path to the Government House was laced with intrigues, physical and mental combats among other challenges. Passing through Lagos last weekend, Dickson took out time to share his experiences in the political fray with a group of newsmen. Excerpts:

Given the hitherto dominance of the North in the nation’s polity, it was not surprising that the region’s 19 governors would seek a reawakening of that culture of northern political superiority when they met last week. At the end of the meeting, the governors pledged to unify behind a northern presidential candidate in the 2015 elections.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State recently announced his plan to establish a fourth-tier government. According to him, the government will be made up of traditional rulers, town union executives, government appointed speakers and civil servants. These people will oversee the development of the local communities.

Pharm. Matthew Urhoghide, one of the most prominent political personalities to have arisen since the advent of civilian rule in Edo State is presently the State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state. Urhoghide is indisputably well informed in the politics of the state having passed through the major political parties in the state.