Public Affairs Analyst

  Nigeria has been holding national elections since 1923—103 years ago. However, it wasn’t until 1979 that the country adopted universal adult suffrage. This meant that all adults, irrespective of gender, status, ethnicity and religious persuasion, could vote once they were at least 18 years old and registered with the electoral management body. Over time, it became apparent that, although the voting franchise had been extended to all adults, representation in governance structures, whether in the executive or legislative arm, remained male-dominated, with severe restrictions on participation by women, youths and persons with disabilities. According to UN Women, as of February 2024, only 3.9 per cent of seats in parliament were held by women. Nigeria has not elected a female president, vice president or governor in its more than 100 years of electoral democracy. Statistics on the representation of youths aged 18–35 and persons with disabilities are equally depressing. Not even th...

  Globally, there is a rising cost of living crises. No country is immune to this phenomenon. If you have been monitoring foreign news, you would have heard of unrest in many countries in Europe. CNBC of October 20, 2026 reported that “Anger over the cost of living and pressure on public services has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters onto streets across several European countries, with grievances ranging from expensive housing to poor conditions in schools and universities.” France saw the largest demonstrations with more than 500,000 people marching. Most protested peacefully, but some looted and vandalized shops, set fire to city halls and attacked police officers. Separate protests also took place in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Albania. Their immediate triggers differed, although high fuel and energy costs formed part of the backdrop in several countries. The wars in Iran and Ukraine have pushed diesel prices sharply higher across the continent.” Wikipedia reported th...

  Yesterday, October 20, 2026 was the sixth anniversary of the 2020 #EndSARS protests. Any update from Nigerian police on measures aimed at improving policing in Nigeria? How do we ensure that atrocities linked to the members deployed to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad are not repeated? What’s the state of compensation to the victims of SARS? That’s no gainsaying the fact the #EndSARS protests demonstrated the organisational prowess and resilience of Nigerian youths. Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as altered said security and welfare of citizens shall be the primary purpose of government. As most of the candidates begin their campaign in earnest, one of the issues that will dominate discussion ahead of the forthcoming 2027 General Elections will be security. Why so? Reports from Amnesty International Nigeria indicate that more than 1,100 people were abducted within a three-month period in 2026 alone. Alongside this, Vanguard reported that 1,258 p...

  Last Thursday, October 8, 2026, Stanley Alieke, my learned friend’s firm, Law Capitol organised a public discuss with the theme “Criminal Administration in Nigeria- Economic and Financial Crimes in Focus”. Stan practically dragged me there as a discussant. It turned out to be very exciting, with many legal luminaries and academic juggernauts in attendance. The Chief of Staff to the EFCC Chairman, as well as a couple of the anti-corruption agency’s directors, were in attendance.    My intervention at the event was that we often focus on mega corruption among the political class and public servants while glossing over the petty corruption many of us commit with impunity every day. I also cited the phenomenon of spiritual corruption where many religious leaders are now deeply enmeshed in corrupt practices. According to the Financial Crimes Academy, “Bribery and corruption are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Bribery refers to the offering, giv...

  It’s a red-letter day for me, ladies and gentlemen. I ventured into writing for the media exactly 36 years ago. Prof. OBC Nwolise nudged me into it in 1988.   Then I was a student under his tutelage during my A Level studies organised by the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan. Today is a day of multiple celebrations – thirty-six years of my media advocacy and 14 years as a Columnist with The PUNCH newspaper. This is a day of reflection and reminiscences. In my over three decades of being involved with the media at both national and international levels, I have witnessed a lot which is worth sharing. Media taught me the true definition of passion. I am very passionate about making my voice heard and count on topical national issues. I started out with writing “Letter to the Editor” in the defunct Daily Sketch in Ibadan. Thereafter, I began writing full blown articles of 1,000 – 1,300 words. When Daily Sketch started rejecting my articles which were critical of milit...

  I was, and I am, a teacher. I was a Parents Teachers Association-hired teacher at Oba Akinbiyi High School (II), Mokola, Ibadan, in 1997. Apart from that stint, I also taught briefly at a private secondary school during my National Youth Service in Asaba, Delta State, as well as at another private secondary school in the Akowonjo area of Lagos State around 2001/2002. My late father, Deacon Isaac Ojo, taught for about 40 years across several primary schools in Oyo and Osun sates and retired as a headmaster in 1995. Currently, I don’t just teach but train people across various democratic institutions, namely election management bodies (Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria and State Independent Electoral Commissions), political parties, media, national and state legislative assemblies, police, and civil society organisations. Information gleaned from the website of UNESCO says, “World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 to celebrate all teachers around the ...