Public Affairs Analyst

Hearty congratulations to the new federal and state executives who are billed to take their oaths of office today, May 29. These include President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as well as 29 governors and their deputies who either won a re-election or are being sworn in for their first term in office. Among the lucky few who won re-elections are Simon Lalong of Plateau State; Samuel Ortom of Benue; Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Darius Ishaku of Taraba; Aminu Masari of Katsina;   Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna; and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano. Others include: Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta; Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Ben Ayade of Cross River; Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom; and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia. Governors Jubrilla Bindow of Adamawa and Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos were not so lucky. The latter did not get his party ticket to re-contest while the former lost his re-election bid to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri. As this new set of Nigeria’s political leaders get...

“The NASS guidelines negate the constitutional principle of freedom of expression and run contrary to the African Charter on fundamental rights and the right of the people to know. The Guild strongly objects to these guidelines in their entirety as they serve no public good except the myopic interest of its chroniclers and purveyors.” – General Secretary of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mary Atolagbe while reacting to the new accreditation guidelines for journalists released by the National Assembly on May 20, 2019 I like the way News Agency of Nigeria captioned the story, “NASS stings media houses: Sets stringent accreditation guidelines”. A fresh attempt to gag the Freedom of Information and Press Freedom was made by the National Assembly on Monday, May 20, 2019. A new re-accreditation guidelines signed by the Director of Information in NASS, Mr. Emmanuel Agada Esq was released to the public barely three weeks to the June 11, 2019 inauguration of the 9 th National Assembly. The mo...

On May 1, 2019, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum organised a one-day induction for state governors’ wife on protocol and etiquette. On Monday, May 6, a gender activist, Mary Ikoku, and I were privileged to discuss the First Ladies and their pet projects on Roots TV, Abuja. The discussion anchored by Gloria Orji-Emordi centred on how to make the Office of the First Lady accountable given the enormous resources they expend on their pet projects when their husbands are in power. How did this phenomenon of the First Lady evolve? According to literature, First ladyship has its origin in the United States of America. It originated in 1849 when the US President, Zachary Taylor, called Dolley Madison “First Lady” at her funeral while reciting her eulogy.   However, it was said to have gained wider recognition in 1877 when Mary C. Amees wrote an article in the New York City newspaper, “The Independent”, describing the inauguration of President Rutherford B. Hayes. She was quoted as having u...

The 2019 general election may have come and gone but the ripples are still being felt. While many aggrieved candidates and political parties have filed petitions at the Election Petitions Tribunals to recover their stolen mandate, many stakeholders such as political parties, civil society organisations, the academia and media have commenced post-election review meetings. I have been part of many of them. Two academic institutions have approached me to write a paper for them on my observations of the last elections.   I was also part of the participants at the Annual Political Parties and Stakeholders Summit organised by the Political Parties Leadership and Policy Development Centre of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies on May 2 and 3, 2019 in Abuja. I also   participated at   the   European Centre for Electoral Support   and the   Federal Republic of Germany-funded Preventing Electoral Violence and Education LEAD training in governa...

  “We must effectively collect VAT and increase our agricultural output, work with the Federal Government to make broadband infrastructure available all over the country” — Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the induction of the newly elected governors on April 29, 2019 May 1 is commemorated every year as the International Workers’ Day! I wholeheartedly rejoice with Nigerian workers for creating wealth and keeping governance going in the country. However, it is also a time for sober reflections. While I commend the Nigerian workers’ union for the successful negotiation of the new minimum wage of N30,000 for the workers, the major challenge remains that of implementation by a section of the organised private sector, state and local governments. In preparation for the May 29 inauguration of the president-elect and governors-elect as well as the June 9 inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, a series of capacity building initiatives are being organised for the country’s new ...