Politics

That Al Jazeera Fiasco: Weep Not for Daniel Bwala

That Al Jazeera Fiasco: Weep Not for Daniel Bwala

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…
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In Defence Of Daniel Bwala

In Defence Of Daniel Bwala

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…
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Aminu Gwarzo’s Impeachment Plot: More Than A Pound of Flesh

Aminu Gwarzo’s Impeachment Plot: More Than A Pound of Flesh

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…
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Daniel Bwala’s Al Jazeera Humiliation, By Farooq A. Kperogi

Daniel Bwala’s Al Jazeera Humiliation, By Farooq A. Kperogi

By FAROOQ A. KPEROGI I barely know Daniel Bwala. He came to the forefront of national media attention in 2022 because of his impassioned opposition to the choice of Kashim Shettima as Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate. But beyond his public break from the APC, he came across to me as a voluble, ignorant and opportunistic careerist, not because of his stance on Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim running mate, but because of what struck me as his facileness and self-seeking obsessions. His dramatic volte-face from being a virulent Tinubu critic to a fawning, vicious Tinubu battering ram has proven…
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2027: Enugu State And Hitch-Free APC State Congress

2027: Enugu State And Hitch-Free APC State Congress

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…
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Electoral ‘Reform’ And The Shape of Things to Come

Electoral ‘Reform’ And The Shape of Things to Come

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,…
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The Making Of Electoral Act 2026

The Making Of Electoral Act 2026

BY ABRAHAM OGBODO. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very efficient. He has just proved it by signing the 2026 Electoral Bill into law in record time. The bill was passed by the National Assembly on Monday and by Wednesday, it had become an act. The President is also very Patriotic. Given his pattern, he must have stood down compelling foreign trips to do this for Nigerians. He patiently waited for the National Assembly to finish with the bill to sign it into law. With this development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which has been threatening to deliver big in…
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PDP Crisis: Wike’s Aide Berates Bode George

PDP Crisis: Wike’s Aide Berates Bode George

By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan Lere Olayinka, media aide to Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has carpeted a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, over comments he made on the crisis rocking the party. Olayinka spoke on a politics programme aired on 32 FM, Ibadan, weekend, saying the elder statesman did not speak with decorum. Chief George had granted an interview on a television programme, criticizing a judge that delivered a judgment in one of the cases involving the national leadership of the PDP. But Olayinka, stating the position of his principal, who…
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Who Does YIAGA AFRICA Really Work For?

Who Does YIAGA AFRICA Really Work For?

By SHEDDY OZOENE The next time we reflect on the series of Nigeria’s deeply flawed elections and the ineptitude of INEC, it may be worth pausing to interrogate also the role of YIAGA AFRICA as well. Founded in 2007 as a student organisation at the University of Jos, YIAGA AFRICA has since grown into one of the loudest civil society voices in Nigeria’s electoral space. It presents itself as a democracy and human rights organisation, deeply involved in election integrity, civic engagement, and the strengthening of democratic institutions. So far, so good, but there is a troubling pattern in the…
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2027: Drive To Consolidate Tinubu’s Hold On Oyo, South-West Underway

2027: Drive To Consolidate Tinubu’s Hold On Oyo, South-West Underway

*Abuja Needs More Hands, Olaosebikan, Others In The Mix By Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi, Politics reporter Efforts by federally-ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to garner overwhelming votes in 2027 for President Bola Tinubu in his native South-West zone is obviously one of the many planks upon which the President's re-election bid stands. With strong opposition expected from the coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) majorly spearheaded by Tinubu's political enemies, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and other heavyweights, pursuing a catchy narrative of alleged non-performance by Tinubu amid the dire socio-economic suffering of many Nigerians, the President's camp…
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