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 politics of Tinubu obsession
By Azu Ishiekwene NATIONAL leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has very strong enemies and a few of them would not wait for him to die before burying him. As soon as there were indications last week that President Muhammadu Buhari had withdrawn support for APC Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the […]
Using COVID-19 donations to give charity a bad name
By Azu Ishiekwene GLOBAL response to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Africa has been remarkable, especially following fears that should the virus take hold, its impact on the continent could be catastrophic. Twenty of the 80 beneficiaries of the $50billion announced as emergency financing facility by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, are in Africa. The […]
Oshiomhole, Obaseki and APC’s game of long knives
By Azu Ishiekwene I GOOFED, but may be just a little, because this is not how the story ends. In January, I predicted that the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, and his protege and Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, would drag themselves to the brink, but that just when everyone thinks they’ll […]
Who listens to the North?
By Azu Ishiekwene JOURNALIST and former Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, wrote a thought-provoking piece last week entitled, “Who speaks for the North?” The article reinforces the need for an important conversation, especially as we reflect on our past, engage with the present and contemplate the future. Who speaks for the North? In […]
The unravelling of America: You’ve gotta watch to cry
By Azu Ishiekwene I FIRST watched the movie in the lockdown. At the beginning, it was funny when the pair was fiddling with their entrée in the restaurant and wondering why they had both avoided each other until now. A few minutes after they left the restaurant, trouble started. The movie, entitled “Queen & Slim,” is […]
Does the minister work for a Chinese company?
By Azu Ishiekwene HEALTH Minister, Osagie Ehanire, has been in hot water lately. It’s hard to sympathise with him because he jumped into the cauldron with his eyes open, wearing his trademark black cap. And not once. The first time was when Ehanire appeared before the House of Representatives to answer questions about the welfare […]
Mad as Madagascar
By Azu Ishiekwene IN the fight against COVID-19, the war between biology and economics has just expanded to the nationalist front, spilling over with the ferociousness of a zero-sum game. Madagascar President, Andry Rajoelina, believes that the reason why the world is not giving his country’s miracle herbal formula the accolade it deserves is because […]
In Africa, Trump’s fate is worse than a laughing stock
By Azu Ishiekwene IN a recent article in The Atlantic also widely used elsewhere, American journalist, Anne Applebaum, described the pathetic meltdown of US President Donald Trump, especially since the outbreak of the global health crisis, COVID-19. According to the journalist, not only has Trump become the butt of jokes in video games, the US President’s serial faux pas […]
Kano conundrum: Why it matters
FOLLOWING a string of suspicious deaths in Kano last week some have said the state, arguably Nigeria’s most populous could be Nigeria’s Italy. They are wrong and right. They are wrong because healthcare in Kano and what obtained in any region in pre-COVID-19 Italy is not comparable. Like night and day, they’re not even close. […]
Should you believe what ECA is saying about Africa?
IN one of his bestsellers, The Zahir, Paulo Coelho said there are two major problems in life: knowing when to begin and knowing when to stop. If, for example, Nigeria had closed its borders early on and enforced quarantine for all returning Nigerians, whoever they are, things might have been different today. I’m sure many others would say […]
