SINCE Christmas, I have mostly focussed on current affairs issues on this page. Now I want to take a break from politics and remember 2 remarkable women who quietly left us at the height of election fever and will be sorely missed.

I am sorry if I sound like a sore loser, but I cannot graciously accept the result of last weekend’s elections in Rivers State. Resounding wins were declared for the PDP’s gubernatorial flagbearer plus all of its State House of Assembly candidates. And Chief Nyesom Wike is now, officially, the Governor-Elect.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Chief Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, complained about the APC’s alleged misconduct in Ekiti State and accused General Buhari and his party of “moving around the country instigating division, engineering crisis and heightening tension” (“instead of settling down to plan a smooth transition and design ways of deepening democracy in appreciation of the mandate given to him”).

I AM still reeling from the General’s truly astounding victory! Three cheers for democracy!
Never before has an Opposition candidate conclusively trounced an incumbent in this country. And, given that Buhari had already suffered three electoral defeats (2003, 2007, 2011) – and that Jonathan had myriad advantages at his disposal, including a near-bottomless multi-billion-naira war chest and substantial influence over security agencies – many Nigerians (including this writer, on occasion) seriously doubted that Buhari’s fourth attempt would be successful.

By Donu Kogbara I thank God that the D-Day or should that be E-Day? – has finally arrived, after months of toxic mud-slingings, comical episodes, tragic misfires, dramatic cross-carpetings, nail-biting suspense, fevered speculation and controversies galore. Ever since the CPC, ACN, ANPP and an APGA faction merged two years ago to create the most viable […]