Indicted judge who sits in judgement can only deliver injustice, by Owei Lakemfa
Ten weeks before the contentious and increasingly violent general elections in the country, Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja nullified the leadership of one of the two main opposition parties, the African Democratic Congress, ADC. He did not only purport to remove the David Mark-Rauf Aregbesola leadership of the party, but […]
The Ogbeni years: Reporting a politician to history, by Owei Lakemfa
There are not a few who see Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, former Minister of Interior and onetime Osun State Governor, as an enigma. A politician that would not shy away from a fight he considers necessary, even if it appears unwinnable. A man who would yield no ground unless confronted with a superior argument. A […]
Queen Sarraounia: Hausa guerrilla warrior who took on barbaric France, by Owei Lakemfa
Niger Republic was rocked by an attempted coup from August 29 to 30, 2026. The plotters invaded the Diori Hamani International Airport, where Air Base 101 is stationed. They also stormed the state broadcaster and the presidential palace. They were defeated, and the populace took to the streets in protest against the attempt to return […]
Democratic choice between obeying laws and defending workers’ rights, by Owei Lakemfa
If a labour leader has to make a choice between obeying the laws of the country and court orders on one hand, and defending the rights of workers on the other, can there be a democratic choice? That was the question I set out to answer in Abuja on August 21, 2026 at the workshop […]
Dolly Parton gave us a coat of many colours, by Owei Lakemfa
Dolly Rebecca Parton-Dean taught the world that poverty is not a reproach. Not a DNA or a sin. In fact, that it can be a badge of honour worn with pride. In her 1971 classic “Coat of Many Colours” she stitched a true story of poverty with the Biblical story of Joseph and presented humanity unforgettable […]
Osun The Beautiful: The musical opera of our future politics, by Owei Lakemfa
There were the beautiful political party dresses, worn with pride as their wearers danced in the streets displaying fantastic dance steps. I wondered where these textiles were made. In Nigeria? If so, ‘kundus’ (kudos) to the procurers. What I do not wonder about is who paid. Doubtlessly, not the mass of those clad in them; hungry […]
