Public Affairs Analyst

  Me: “Hello, my pal. How are you? To what do I owe this august call in January?” My friend: “Jide, you’re not serious. When last did you call me too?” Me: “It’s true, amigo. I’ve been busy lately. Man must eat now. As you know, in Naija, no food for lazy man” My friend: “You’re right. Are you at home this weekend? We need to hang out. It’s been a while.” Me: “Ah! Wrong time! I am actually in the field doing research for one of my clients.” My friend: “So, what’s your field research about? Me: “It’s about the forthcoming June 20, 2026, Ekiti gubernatorial election.” My friend: “What about it?” Me: “We want to know how the election will pan out.” My friend: “Professor! Jide, please come down to my level o! You know say me I no know book like you.” Me: “Come off it, buddy. Aren’t you a varsity graduate?” My friend: “Anyways, I learnt there is now a direct flight from Abuja and Lagos to Ekiti without having to first go through Akure in Ondo State.” Me: “That’s ...

  Introduction Governor Siminalaye Fubara of Rivers State has become a cat with nine lives having survived two previous impeachment moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly. However, another plan is afoot to impeach the ‘gentle giant’ who rode to power on the back of his predecessor, former governor Nyesom Wike. Will he and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu survive this third attempt?   The Rivers State House of Assembly first made to impeach Fubara in October 2023. In order to thwart that move, some arsonists set a section of the Assembly on fire on Sunday, October 29, 2023. The second attempt was in March 2025 few days before President Bola Tinubu declared State of Emergency in Rivers State in which the suspension order affected the entire members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the governor and the deputy governor. The SoE lasted from March 18 – September 18, 2025. The second impeachment notice was communicated via a letter which was dated Friday, March 14, 2025 but...

  “ History will remember today not merely as an unveiling ceremony, but as the day Nigeria chose dialogue, transparency, fiscal realism, and strong Presidential commitment as the pathway to resolving long-standing governance challenges and achieving sustained progress.” – Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, during the signing of the agreement between FG and ASUU on January 14, 2026. Last week Wednesday, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, signed a fresh agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities. The Guardian of January 17 said that in a defining move to end a 17-year crisis that has repeatedly destabilised Nigeria’s university system, the FG and the ASUU have finally signed a comprehensive agreement aimed at restoring stability, improving staff welfare, and safeguarding academic standards. The protracted conflict, marked by recurring strikes, inadequate funding, and unresolved welfare concerns, has repeatedly disrupted ...

  An online source says “Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It involves dishonest or illegal acts like bribery, fraud, embezzlement, or nepotism, often by powerful individuals in government, business, or other sectors, to get illicit benefits, bypass rules, or misuse public resources for personal or group advantage. It undermines fairness, weakens institutions, and harms public welfare by diverting funds, creating unequal access, and eroding trust, and can range from petty bribes to large-scale grand corruption.” According to Transparency International, “Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.” How has Nigeria fared in terms of fighting corruption? In the 2024 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International, released in early 2025, Nigeria ranked 140th out of 180 countries, improving slightly from 145th but remaining among...

  Welcome to 2026, Nigeria’s year of unlimited politicking. The Independent National Electoral Commission will next month, in line with provision of section 28 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 publish Notice of Election for the next general polls. The section says “The Commission shall, not later than 360 days before the day appointed for holding of an election under this Act, publish a notice in each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory— (a) stating the date of the election; and (b) appointing the place at which nomination papers are to be delivered. Ideally, this is the year that governance should be at its peak, but knowing Nigeria’s ruling elite, once INEC releases the Notice, governance will take the back seat while politics takes the centerstage. Last year despite being two years to the next general elections, INEC had to hold a stakeholder meeting to caution the political class to stop pre-mature campaigning. The whole of Abuja streets were taken over by ...

  Tomorrow is Christmas, a Christian holiday celebrated worldwide. From the start of the month, the greetings have changed. You’ll hear people say, ‘Season’s greeting’ or ‘Compliment of the Yuletide’ or ‘Merry Christmas in advance’. The time-honoured ‘Father Christmas’ viewing wasn’t missing this year as many schools, churches and media outfits organised Father Christmas Grottos, where children pay a token sum to visit Father Christmas, who also shares gifts with the visitors. Some organisers make it part of their end-of-the-year party with a DJ on hand to dish out good, danceable songs and music to visitors’ delight. Some organisations partner with media outfits that also do live streaming and transmission on their channels, and give visitors a chance to greet their loved ones at home. Another unique feature of the Christmas season is the carol. There’s no Christmas without carols, where choristers sing in honour of Jesus Christ, whose birth is being celebrated tomorrow, even th...