Broken politics: Deeply flawed primaries point to a messy 2027, by Olu Fasan
The morning foretells the day. Early signs can indicate how a day will unfold. In that sense, the recent presidential, gubernatorial and legislative primaries foretell a very messy general election next year. Over the past two weeks, the media have been awash with endless stories about deeply flawed party primaries. The primaries betray a political […]
Tinubu fiddles as Trump’s tariff war upends Nigeria’s economy, by Olu Fasan
Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s junketing president, chose the week Donald Trump, America’s ultra-protectionist president, unleashed a global trade war to go on a “working visit” abroad. As the world reeled from Trump’s tariff blitz, the deepest and most sweeping in a century, leaders of most other countries were hands on deck at home. President Emmanuel Macron […]
Nigeria is diminished with Akpabio as Senate President, by Olu Fasan
The strength and viability of any country’s democracy depend, to a very large extent, on the strength and quality of the legislative branch of its government. This is because it falls solely to the legislature to make the laws upon which a country is governed, to shape government policies, and to oversee the executive branch. Thus, […]
Militocracy: The return of Sole Administrators in Nigeria, by Olu Fasan
The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, is a civilian. The “governor” of Rivers State, Vice-Admiral (rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, is a military officer who rules the state as its Sole Administrator. Last week, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, said that Tinubu would “not hesitate” to declare a state of emergency in more states, remove […]
State of emergency: Tinubu’s autocracy endangers Nigeria’s democracy, by Olu Fasan
Since the rift between Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers State governor, and Siminalayi Fubara, his successor, burst into the open in October 2023, I have written four articles on the saga. The last before this piece was titled “Blame Tinubu for the impending political inferno in Rivers” (Vanguard, May 23, 2024). That intervention was prescient, as, […]
Ayo Adebanjo, Edwin Clark: Adieu, great champions of a fair, just Nigeria, by Olu Fasan
Recently, fate dealt Nigeria a cruel hand when death took two of its greatest patriots and elder statemen in the space of one week. Pa Ayo Adebanjo, 96, who died on February 14, 2025, and Pa Edwin Clark, 97, who died three days later on February 17, 2025, were Nigeria’s conscience and moral compass. Until they […]
