This week, we continue the narrative on boycott of elections in Nigeria Sir Abubakar immediately confirmed that he would form “a broadly based government” representing all shades of opinion. He said completion of outstanding elections in the Eastern and Mid-Western Regions, as well as in Lagos, arrangements would be made to bring in new ministers and to […]

By AYODEJI EBO  The Central Bank of Nigeria recently released an exposure draft on the proposed new rules for Financial Holding Companies, commonly called HoldCos. This may sound technical, but it is important because many major banking groups in Nigeria now operate through HoldCo structures. A HoldCo is like a parent company that owns different businesses […]

By Dele Sobowale If it takes a whole minute to produce a fool in America, then Nigeria must be bringing them in at the rate of one a second. Nigerian politicians operate on the Barnum principle. Depending on who is dishing out the false dream, most Nigerians will believe anything. Trust politicians and their creative advisers. Every […]

My Lord, Honourable Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, was beaten to second place by his colleague in Abuja, Honourable Justice Peter Lifu, in the race for the judge that constitutes the gravest danger to democracy. Justice Lifu was so much in a hurry to claim the title that when the Court of Appeal […]

I was an avid reader of the THISDAY Backpage columnists in the late 1990s to the early 2000s, from Dr Amanze Obi on Mondays to Waziri Adio on Sundays. Somewhere in the middle of the pack was always Simon Kolawole, who would end his columns with “And Four Other Things…”, where he would dispense with four other […]

“History is a record of what has happened in the past.” That was the first sentence in the History book given to us at Igbobi College, Yaba; when, as an Area Boy from Campos, Lagos, I gate-crashed into the school. History became one of my favourite subjects since then till today.  However, it was not […]

The debate on who is football’s greatest player ever resurfaced again at the ongoing 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States after Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 defeat of Algeria in their opening match. His brace in the 2-0 defeat of Austria reinforced the belief by his fans that […]

Onceupon a time, there was a blacksmith called Jallo who was famous all over the land for his smithing skills. People came from far and near to seek him out. He had a number of young apprentices from nearby villages learning the trade from him. Jallo was a rather strict man but he was also very […]

Brethren, welcome to the last Sunday in the month   of June.  In a couple of days, by the grace of God, we’ll be saying goodbye to the month of June. Significantly, it would be the end of the first half of year 2026. Beloved, we have reasons to thank the Almighty God that we are on […]

A few authoritative voices are beginning to make the rest of us think again about the state police issue. Until a week or so ago, some of us had no objection to the establishment of state police in Nigeria. Our position was influenced by the unending attacks on citizens particularly in rural communities. We had […]

I am missing Nigeria at the ongoing World Cup.  If Nigeria had managed, somehow, to qualify and to be participating, the Super Eagles, under Eric Chelle, and with the increasing number of gifted Nigerian players caught in Eric’s scouting web around Europe these past few months, would have been one of the teams to beat […]

A few years ago, Sunday Igboho was a mere fugitive.After his confrontations with Fulani herdsmen, Buhari’s police declared him wanted. He fled the country. In Cotonou, he walked into a trap. His fabled juju lost its signal, and he was dumped into dungeon.   Before that incarceration, Igboho had issued grave threats against Tinubu and every Yoruba politician seeking to legitimise […]

When next I come across the First Female President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Diezani Alison Madueke, I will blow kisses all over her palm. It is strange that of all the criminals who brought Nigeria down to ground zero, many eyes are on someone who was Minister of Petroleum Resources for just five […]

Time was, and it seemed such a long time now, when being a travelling Nigerian was a delight. Travelling Nigerians had money to spend courtesy of a generous BTA (Basic Travel Allowance). We had goodwill to spend courtesy of our cheerful, sunny disposition. And in some cases, we had I.O.U. to collect courtesy of our generous, benevolent […]

I met him through Ferial Haffajee, a fellow judge on the CNN African Journalist of the Year panel for several years and also a fellow member of the board of the World Editors Forum in those early days. Ferial is one of the most outstanding journalists on the continent, but this article is not about her. […]