Oyo abduction and Makinde’s call for UN probe, by Ikechukwu Amaechi
There is no well-meaning Nigerian who is not relieved that the Oyo State kidnap saga ended happily despite the eight fatalities and the 56 agonising days it took to embrace the light at the end of what was, to all intents and purposes, a very dark chapter in Nigeria’s beleaguered history. The mass abduction, which took […]
Trump’s war of blame in Iran, by Ikechukwu Amaechi
It is no longer news that the U.S. and Israel, on Saturday, February 28, launched blistering attacks on Iran, an operation Donald Trump dubbed “Epic Fury,” thereby putting the Middle East on tenterhooks. The biggest irony of the tragedy? It is orchestrated by a man who vowed that under his watch, the U.S. seemingly insatiable appetite […]
Assassination attempt on Peter Obi: If I were President Tinubu, by Ikechukwu Amaechi
A common African adage says that “if a witch cries in the night and a child dies in the morning, we do not go to the soothsayer to ask what killed the child.” Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, is very much aware of this truism. In July 2025, he declared, quite unreasonably, that the presidential candidate […]
Is Nigeria still a secular state? By Ikechukwu Amaechi
When TheNiche, an online newspaper, exclusively reported on February 13, that a few hours after announcing the 2027 elections timetable, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was set to tinker with the schedule due to pressure from some Muslim groups, many were incredulous. Earlier that day, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, after waiting endlessly for the […]
When democracy becomes just a word, by Ikechukwu Amaechi
Nigerians love clichés to bits. More often than not, you hear them regurgitate the famous “democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried” quip by former British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. The idea that democracy is the best form of government is a widely held principle in […]
As Uma Eleazu rebuilds the ramparts of Nigeria’s democracy, by Ikechukwu Amaechi
In the past decade, I developed a habit: whenever Nigeria confuses me as it often does, I visit one of the country’s elder statesmen to help me get a handle on otherwise senseless situations. No protocols. All I do is visit, most times unannounced. The cathartic experience from such discussions is always profound. Sadly, many […]
