Sam Rayburn, whose protégé was the late President Lyndon Johnson, 1908-1973, who was Senator, Vice-President and President in 1963 when late President John Kennedy, 1917-1963, was assassinated in Texas, Johnson’s own state, was perhaps the most powerful Speaker ever in America’s history. He was also a Texan. If a President of Nigeria is ever killed in the home state of his Vice-President, a civil war would follow. Some of us who remember that episode in 1963 which brought Johnson to power, were praying extra-hard that nothing would happen to Buhari on his visit to Ogun State, early in the month. A civil war would have followed if something similar happened. I hope Buhari stays away from Ogun State; or the South West for that matter until his tenure expires.

The spate of new monarchical regimes and celebrations in the last decade or so does reflect the deep contradictions of the Nigerian state and the ambiguity of Nigeria’s national character as a modern republic. A great roll of drums was just heard all over the conservative press on the recent installation of an Ooni in Ife, Ooni Ogunwusi. The drama did not stop there. The new Ooni declared that his new “regime” was “a new era for the Yoruba” and was intended on “unifying the Yoruba.”

Joyful Homes, this week, shares with readers what I describe as the “star testimony “ of a couple at the last Laughter Day of Laughter Foundation Christian Ministry, Lagos.

Last week, I stated that the money allocated to Aso Rock clinic was 3.4 billion naira. I later discovered that 4.8 billion naira was actually set aside for both capital projects and recurrent expenditure for it, the clinic used by the President, Vice-President, their families and close associates. That amount competes favourably with the total allocation usually earmarked by the Federal Ministry of Health for tertiary health institutions nationwide which serve thousands of Nigerians annually, while only about N2.66 billion is to be spent on building new hospitals all over the country.

This year’s governorship election in Edo State to fill the vacancy that would result from the end of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure will no doubt be keenly contested. For the first time in recent years, many well tested citizens have already shown interest in the position. In particular, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the main opposition party- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to give each other a hot chase as both parties are strong in the state. But before the political scene begins to boil, no one should forget that the state has so much to thank God for.