Column

By SHEDDY OZOENE I first encountered the torrent of criticism and negative commentaries before I watched the interview itself. Social media was literally on fire, with many people condemning Daniel Bwala for what they described as a dismally poor performance on the Head-to-Head programme on Al Jazeera. That was when I went online to watch a recording. In fact, I watched it twice, trying to understand what all the hullabaloo was about. What I saw, and the interpretation I drew from it, was quite different from the general reaction. At first, I assumed the Al Jazeera invitation had been sent…

By FESTUS ADEDAYO (Published by the Sunday Tribune, March 15, 2026) “I walked into the Governor’s Lodge, my feet languid and heart trembling. When you walk into that hallowed premises, you are not sure of your fate. On this particular day, even inanimate objects at the Lodge knew that the earth and heavens were in a warring mood. There was an unusual calm. The rats of the Lodge had lost their squeaks and the sparrows which occasionally flew over the Government House, stood still, as if in somnolence. Even the surrounding privileged trees, honoured to be grown in the power…

By SHEDDY OZOENE Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, appears to be learning the game of strong-arm politics rather quickly. After his controversial decision in January to abandon the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) that brought him to power in 2023, he now seems to be going for the jugular of his deputy, Mallam Aminu Gwarzo. Gwarzo’s offence is simple: he refused to board the train when the governor led most members of his state executive council into the rival All Progressives Congress (APC). Since then, the buzz in Kano has been unmistakable. For having the…

By SAMSON EZEA The popular and iconic Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu, became agog and electrifying in the early hours of March 3, 2026. The venue was adorned with canopies, fliers, posters, billboards, and ribbons in the colours and symbols of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Everything was set for the Enugu State chapter’s congress of the ruling party.From the VIP podium to the various canopies designated for the 17 local government areas, a mammoth crowd of enthusiastic party leaders, supporters, and members gathered in celebration. Music blared from the popular Ulaga Music Stand as attendees danced and savoured…

By SHEDDY OZOENE Against widespread public clamour for genuine electoral reform — reforms that would significantly reduce, if not eliminate, manipulation of Nigeria’s electoral system — the National Assembly last Tuesday passed the Electoral Bill 2026. Hoisted as a landmark reform, the law retained the single most contentious provision that had drawn public resistance: granting INEC officials discretion to transmit election results either electronically in real time or manually at collation centres.It is this loophole that makes the bill fall short of public approval. It is an electoral reform only in name.If the action of the National Assembly was disappointing,…