Trump’s Letter, Atiku’s Lobbyists and old American stories about Tinubu, by Emmanuel Aziken
Politics is often less about the event itself than about the timing of the event. A document released today may have been written weeks earlier, but when it surfaces at a politically sensitive moment, it immediately acquires a meaning far beyond its contents. That is the context in which the recent exchange involving President Bola Tinubu, former […]
Atiku: Ambition, Age and Agility, by Emmanuel Aziken
For Atiku Abubakar, the path to 2027 may have just met a rare stumble arising from aclumsy interview. In a BBC Hausa Service interview, Atiku — who turns 79 next month — was quoted as saying he would be willing to step down for a younger aspirant, if such a candidate emerged and commanded widespread acceptability. […]
Between Natasha’s defiance and Fubara’s docility, by Emmanuel Aziken
Two strong disruptions to Nigeria’s democratic flow in March 2025 were seemingly repaired recently with the dramatic restoration of Governor Siminilayi Fubara to the helm of affairs in Rivers State and the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Senate after months of suspension. On the surface, both restorations may appear as victories for democracy, yet when […]
A Governor In Chains, by Emmanuel Aziken
Yesterday’s return to Port Harcourt of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the quiet stealing away of the sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), are two poignant dents on the nation’s democracy. How the country progresses from here will undoubtedly define the character of the democracy Nigeria practises. Remarkably, some have praised President Bola Tinubu for not extending […]
Tinubu, Shettima and the Vice-Presidential curse, by Emmanuel Aziken
President Bola Tinubu’s recent dismissal of Fegho Umunubo, his Special Assistant on Digital and Creative Economy who worked directly under Vice President Kashim Shettima, has triggered a fresh wave of speculation about the power dynamics inside Aso Rock. To many observers, the terse announcement that came from the president’s office, rather than the vice president’s, is another […]
Jonathan’s Betrayal And Tinubu’s Untold Prison Experience, by Emmanuel Aziken
President Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe share a political kinship born in adversity. Both began their rise from the shadows as deputy governors with little influence under powerful principals. Oghiadomhe, widely believed to have been chosen at the instance of the late Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe, served as deputy to Governor Lucky Igbinedion in Edo State. […]
