Opinion

By SAMSON EZEA At the grand finale of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the just-concluded local government elections in Enugu State, held at Amagunze, the headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah advised, appealed to, and cautioned the people against the practice of vote-splitting in the 2027 general elections. The Governor urged the people not to be deceived or misled by anyone into voting for different political parties across various levels of the ballot.Rather, he called on them to vote for and support the APC from top to bottom to ensure that the party's…

By Abdullateef Bamgbose While the tears in our eyes have not yet dried, another tragedy has struck again, claiming the lives of two gentlemen, Mike Odiakose and Dan Ocholi, both former staff members of The Pilot Newspapers. Their deaths are not only painful personal losses, they also provide another opportunity to reflect on the harsh realities confronting journalists who spend their productive years serving the media industry without adequate protection, job security or financial stability. While Mike was sick for only five days before his death, those who came across Ocholi in his final days said he had been “dying…

By Aloy Ejimakor The long-running dispute between Nigeria and Sunrise Power over the 3,050MW (later rescoped to 1,500MW) Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, serves as a textbook study in institutional exposure to legacy liabilities. Although the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitral tribunal in Paris dismissed Sunrise’s $2.35 billion claim and its secondary $400 million settlement default claim and ordered the claimant to pay Nigeria’s legal costs, the 23-year Mambilla saga exposes structural vulnerabilities in how the government executes contracts and handles out-of-court settlements. Below are key institutional, regulatory, and legal lessons the Federal Government must implement to prevent similar exposure…

By FESTUS ADEDAYO History records that the most fatal stabs always come from within oneself. In other words, there is a motif of proximity to stabs. Deepest wounds are often delivered, not by external rivals, but by those within the same household or friends. On September 22, 1828, the reality of the above dawned on the Zulu of present day South Africa. Afflicted by a strange psychosis that struck him after the death of Nandi, his mother, King Shaka Zulu went berserk. He ordered a year-long mourning of Nandi, forbade planting of new crops, banned milk from the kingdom and…

By Ike Abonyi Governor Hyacinth Alia may not realise it, but his conduct in partisan politics is becoming one of the strongest arguments for the Catholic Church’s wisdom in keeping priests away from partisan political contests. While the impulse for a Catholic priest to enter politics often stems from a desire to address systemic corruption, bad governance, and social injustice, the Catholic Church maintains a strict position forbidding ordained ministers from holding public offices that involve the exercise of secular authority. This principle is anchored in Canon Law, Catholic Social Teaching, and the distinct roles assigned to the clergy versus…

By IKECHUKWU AMAECHI Former Rivers State governor Chibuike Amaechi buried his mother, Ezinne Mary Oruah, on May 5, 2026 in Ubima, his ancestral Ikwerre hometown. It was a celebration of life. At 89 years, she lived long and well. Her son was not only a two-term governor but also Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years and Minister of Transportation. When his ministerial tour of duty ended, he set his eyes on the country’s ultimate political diadem – presidency. He is Atiku Abubakar’s running-mate in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress…