A party for Nigeria’s latest abductors, by Azu Ishiekwene
Nigeria’s main political parties are in the thick of their primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections. That politicians can still manage to hold primaries in the midst of a worsening wave of horrendous attacks on communities and kidnappings in parts of the country, not to mention the economic hardship, suggests we must be living in […]
The Travails of Malam Nasir El-Rufai
By Azu Ishiekwene The list was long and the contents harsh and threatening. The notices may have been issued separately, but they landed like a packaged digital bomb in my WhatsApp inbox. Eight unions, apart from the central body, had collectively declared war on Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai. The die was cast. The […]
Busybodies outside the Gates
By Azu Ishiekwene Bill and Melinda Gates had barely finished saying the “D” word when all kinds of marriage counsellors and grief-mongers besieged social media with suggestions of why they think the couple is breaking up. The sentiments, ranging from the probable to the bizarre, with a sprinkling of fictional tales in between, have defied the […]
Coup talk and echoes of a banana republic
By Azu Ishiekwene These days, it seems all right to play with fire. The blaze started like a solitary spark in Mali in August when the streets, the elite and jihadists banded to remove President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The former president had discarded election results and written a version that tightened his grip on power. […]
‘Follow me to the market…’
By Azu Ishiekwene EVERYONE has their meal of the day, and mine happens to be dinner. Having dinner, for me, is a ritual, but one that has evolved over the years. Back in the day, I would not dare have dinner without first taking my bath. My mother said it was “unclean” to eat before […]
First Jollof, now Twitter. What next?
By Azu Ishiekwene SOMETHING Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said reminded me of British political journalist, Andrew Marr. Journalism, Marr wrote in his book, My Trade, is a chaotic form of earning, ragged at the edges and full of snakes and con artists. Last week, Mohammed, furious at Twitter’s decision to start its first Africa […]
