IT was indicative of the earth-shattering weight of the burden that he carried, that it took Bukola Saraki almost a week, to find the words to describe the plot that he hatched against his party in the early morning of June 9th, 2015. Some of my more observant friends back home in Ilorin, noticed that he wore the same blue cap for days in a row, which some assigned even mystical reasons.

IN 2013, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, conferred the award of Cross of St Augustine on the Bishop of Kaduna Diocese, Anglican Communion, the Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), finally moved into the Aso Villa this week, signaling the real commencement of work, as leader for the change that Nigerians voted for last March. But the portents are frightening; as if we don’t already have a foggy idea of the seriousness of the situation! Buhari made it clear during his maiden meeting with the State House media corps, that he inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan, a country with virtually empty treasury, running into millions of dollars; and indicative of the sorry pass, even the Federal Government cannot pay salaries of its workers.

IT was Lanre Idowu that first called me last week about Uncle Sam Amuka’s 80th birthday, which took place over this weekend. Lanre wanted me to contribute a piece to a book of tributes to commemorate Uncle Sam’s 80th birthday (I hope I have not let a cat out of the bag Lanre and if I did please forgive me!).

It was the standout phrase from President Muhammadu Buhari’s Inauguration Day speech on May 29, 2015: “I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody”. The phrase went viral, triggering an output of comical expressions.

I attended Kashim Shettima’s inauguration for a second term as governor of Borno State last weekend in Maiduguri. There was colour as to be expected of Borno; but there was also a somber thread to Governor Shettima’s thought as expressed in the opening sequence of his speech.

NIGERIA will usher in President Muhammadu Buhari tomorrow. Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration should potentially, open up new vistas of development for our country. And if the new administration stays true to promises made during the campaign that preceded the elections, we should see some positive changes in the general situation in our country.

EARLY this week, the All Progressives Congress, APC’s Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate, announced a 2-Day Policy Dialogue on the Implementation of the Agenda for Change, on the eve of the inauguration of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, by May 29th, 2015.

I HAVE been in Ilorin over the past two weeks, including even the days I spent in Lagos and Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, to attend a funeral ceremony, as I reported, last week. The most important political issue in Kwara state today, is Bukola Saraki’s ambition to become the next Senate President.

THESE are not the best of times for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Nigeria’s ruling behemoth was so dominantly assured of its hegemonic hold on power, that many of its leaders arrogantly told Nigerians, that they would rule for sixty years. It was ground enough for a party that was everything but a genuine political party, to arrogantly grab hold of power, and do as they wished.

It was in the lead to the last election, that Petroleum Minister Diezani Allison-Maduekwe, was reported to have said that the “Forensic Audit” report conducted by PriceWaterHouseCooperson the NNPC was not released so that it would not be exploited for political purposes by the opposition.

Last Sunday, April 19, the alliance of the African National Congress, ANC, South African Communist Party, SACP, and the Congress of South African Trace Unions, COSATU, issued an “Alliance Statement to the African Continent and the International Community”. The statement was in response to the tragic outbreak of xenophobic attacks in several areas of South Africa against African immigrants who were wrongly targeted as taking the jobs of South Africans.

By Is’haq Modibbo Kawu ON the first anniversary of the abduction of the 219 Chibok Girls, this week, the whole world returned to a troubled conscience. Troubled, that 365 days after, those young girls still haven’t returned home to their parents and communities; they have been deprived of the opportunity to fulfill the dream which […]

This weekend, Nigerians return to the polls to choose governors for most of our states, as well as legislators for state Houses of Assembly. The governor is a very important position because governors affect the lives of millions of Nigerians in our states. Where governors are genuinely committed to the best interest of their people, positive transformative developments can be achieved in states.

THE story filtered out by late evening on Tuesday evening this week. President Goodluck Jonathan had placed a call to General Muhammadu Buhari, to congratulate him, as victor in what might be the most bitterly fought elections in recent Nigerian history. That statesman-like gesture carried very powerful symbols for Nigeria’s democracy and the fate of our country.