SAMMY Asaba, October 1967: A Town That Was Not a Battlefield IN early October 1967, the town of Asaba was not positioned as a theatre of combat. It was a riverine commercial hub — a community of traders, farmers, civil servants and families navigating the uncertainty of Nigeria’s unfolding civil war. The war, which erupted […]
By MUNYASIRI MUHINDI ANGELA A Vast but Hidden Slave Network THE Arab-led Indian Ocean slave trade spanned centuries, targeting East, Southern, and Central Africa for human capture. Africans were taken from modern Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, then shipped through ports like Mombasa and sold at Zanzibar. The trade extended to Arabia and Central […]
Low Turnout in 2023 Sets a Dangerous Precedent NIGERIA’S 2027 general elections may see the lowest voter turnout in the nation’s democratic history, experts warn, as concerns over credibility, security, and public trust intensify. In the 2023 presidential election, only 26.71% of registered voters—approximately 24.97 million out of 93.47 million—participated, marking the lowest engagement since […]
By ADEMOLA OLADEGA AKINSHEMOYIN The Arrival of the Sierra Leoneans THE history of Lagos in the mid-19th century is inextricably linked with the arrival of Sierra Leonean settlers, commonly referred to as the Saros. Their migration, which began around 1838 during the reign of Oba Akinsemoyin, occurred almost simultaneously with the influx of Portuguese and Brazilian […]
Mid West in the Crossfire DURING the Nigerian Civil War, battle lines were rarely static. One of the most dramatic shifts occurred when Biafran troops swept into the Mid Western Region in August 1967. The region’s strategic geography made it a vital corridor between Nigeria’s East and West. Its capture altered the war’s trajectory, at […]
By OCHKO EDAFE Beyond Party Lines: A Growing Frustration in Delta Politics A wave of political criticism is gaining momentum in Delta State, framed not around party loyalty but around economic reality. At the heart of the argument is a blunt accusation: that the same political template associated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — concentration […]
An Election Law for a New Cycle WITH the 2027 general election looming, Nigeria’s lawmakers have moved to recalibrate the country’s electoral architecture through the Electoral Act 2026. The National Assembly describes the legislation as a product of rigorous consultation and consensus-building across institutional lines. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the law represents a collective […]
By CHINO OBASI A Lingering Question Over Religious Dominance “WHICH is the dominant religion in Nigeria?” The question resurfaces periodically, often amplified by political undertones and public anxieties. For many citizens, it is less about statistics and more about identity, power, and the constitutional character of the nation. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has long been […]
By SEN RICH KAY A Party Divided Against Itself THE internal struggle for control of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has erupted into open confrontation, with parallel ward executives now produced by rival blocs. On one side stands the faction aligned with former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, former Governor James Ibori, and […]
Southern Cameroons: From Administrative Territory to Political Choice IN 1954, a quiet constitutional adjustment under the Lyttelton Constitution altered the political trajectory of the Southern Cameroons. Separated from Nigeria’s Eastern Region, the territory was recognized as a distinct administrative unit under British trusteeship, with its own House of Assembly inaugurated on 1 October 1954. This […]