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 […]
Beyond the Simplified Map PUBLIC conversations about the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) often compress the secessionist state of Biafra into the modern five states of Nigeria’s South-East. Yet archival records, demographic realities of the late 1960s, and testimonies from affected communities complicate that narrative. When Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra […]
A Reform That Sparked a Firestorm WHEN the National Assembly amended Nigeria’s Electoral Act to make electronic transmission of results discretionary rather than mandatory, it triggered more than a legislative adjustment — it ignited a political storm. What lawmakers describe as a pragmatic response to infrastructural realities has been framed by critics as a calculated […]
By IKHIDE R IKHELOA A Question That Won’t Go Away MORE than two decades after Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, a persistent question lingers in public discourse: how different is today’s democratic order from the military era it replaced? The assassination of Sani Abacha’s critics once defined the brutality of dictatorship. Yet in […]
A Summons at Dusk ON the evening of 16 January 1966, as Muslims across Nigeria prepared to break their Ramadan fast, an urgent message summoned federal ministers to the Cabinet Office in Lagos. Among those present was future president Shehu Shagari, then a senior member of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s government. The country was […]
By IKHIDE R IKHELOA Resurfacing Comparisons Between Military and Civilian Rule A fresh wave of public commentary comparing Nigeria’s military era with its current democratic experience has reignited debate about governance, corruption and accountability. Recent opinion pieces circulating online have drawn parallels between the late Sani Abacha, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most controversial […]
By ZIK GBEMRE A Legacy Under Debate FEW political figures in Delta State evoke as much debate as former governor James Ibori. More than a decade after leaving office, arguments persist about whether his administration strengthened or destabilised Warri’s economic foundations. Critics trace today’s fragile local economy — characterised by informal transport services, small-scale trading, cybercrime […]
Reform or Regression? AN amendment to Clause 60 of the Electoral Act by the Senate has reopened debate about the balance between technological reform and electoral credibility in Nigeria. The revised clause mandates electronic transmission of polling unit results to INEC’s IREV portal. The reform appears aligned with growing demands for real-time transparency following controversies […]