WHEN Goodluck Jonathan steps down in two days time and Muhammadu Buhari takes over as president, he would have helped to give practical demonstration to that much remarked (in our parts) but hardly realised notion of popular democracy, that sovereignty lies with the people. By handing over power to Buhari, Jonathan would only be abiding by the will of the people who said, on March 28 2015, that they wanted a change of leadership.

PETROLEUM now seems more available in more parts of the country after four weeks of contrived scarcity. During these four weeks, Nigerians have almost literally been through hell and back. In the first two weeks of the scarcity, when things looked very dire, resourceful Nigerians still managed to be on the road.

TWO weeks from now, President Goodluck Jonathan’s six years in office would be over. But even before his departure, the judgment of history on his administration already seems clear. This is evident even in the long queues of vehicles at fuel stations across the country, testimony to the level of corruption and incompetence that has marked governance in the last six years.

JUST when the number of days he has left in Abuja could be counted off one’s fingers or reeled off without much thought, President Goodluck Jonathan finally did what any leader who is in control of his turf does: takes the hard decisions. He ordered the suspension of the permanent secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

OCTOBER 1 was the most significant date on the Nigerian national calendar. It is, in a sense, still the most significant date in our national history. It was the day, in 1960, that Nigeria gained independence from Britain. It has ever since remained Nigeria’s national holiday during which Nigerians celebrate freedom from colonial bondage. Given its special status, important events in the life of Nigerians and Nigeria are often attached to that date.