By Bolanle Bolawole

To all intents and purposes, elections have come and gone and the next thing now is governance. In between both, however, is composing the government. If square pegs are put in square holes, the government has a chance of succeeding but in the event that the contrary is the case, then, consider the government to have failed ab initio. The star prize of the last election was the presidency, which was carted away by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; so it is not a surprise that all eyes would be on him as to what colour or shape his government would take. Some have called for a government of national unity, meaning that members of his government should not be restricted to his political party alone or to those who voted for him in the election. Indeed, a unity government properly so-called should include professionals and technocrats who may not be politicians and who, indeed, may not have voted or shown any keen interest in partisan politics. Bringing on board opponents who stood against the president-elect in the election and or their supporters is also to be expected in a government of national unity. All manner of balancing will have to be done – regional, ethnic, religious, gender, age demography, name it. Power brokers and influencers, gods and cabals that must be pacified or unhinged are many of the permutations that must come into play in the formation of a unity government.

By Azu Ishiekwene

Sometimes it feels like we have been childhood friends. That we have known each other forever. For over 30 years since our paths crossed, I can’t remember how many times I’ve called him “Louis,” much less “Louis Osaretin Odion.”

By Jude Ogechi Eze

March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in Enugu State will go down in history as the fiercest political contest since the creation of the State some three decades ago. Not even the famous 1979 governorship tussle between the defunct Nigeria People's Party (NPP)'s Chief Jim Nwobodo and defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN)'s Chief Christian Onoh of old Anambra State could rival it. It came with a lot of intrigues, suspense, drama, misconstruction, propaganda and harsh realities, thanks to Peter Obi's unique innovative entrance into the national politics that birthed the OBI-dient movement and altered the usual colouration of electoral certainties across the strata. Not even former governor Chimaroke Nnamani could comprehend it, as he has been running rampage on Twitter (his newly found abode) trying to wrap his head around it.

By Valentine Obienyem

Considering the appalling tone of his offerings, one is inclined to wonder how many people read the surfeit of tweets from a past Governor of Enugu State, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani! Employing adolescent English favoured by teen boys writing love letters to nubile girls they are wooing, Nnamani’s tweets were characterised by such banal words & expressions as “staccato”, “voluptuous masses of protoplasmic dribblers”, “hogwash gibberish trinity”, “a moving mass of hate, bile and vacuous bunkham”, “could not stand their kerfuffle”, “devious opium”, “trancelike orgy of tribalism and rabid religiosity”, among others. One can always detect in his continued tweets – glaring tissues of puerilities, iniquities, insults, imprecations - something akin to pompous rhetoric. There are so far, uncharacteristically, no lucid intervals in this madness. We miss in them a sense of orderly synthesis, and find merely a congeries of uncoordinated parts, lies, episodes, and personalities.

By Bola Bolawole

Prof. Babafemi Badejo is not a stranger to this column; today, he x-rays the Yoruba “Omoluabi” and the “Ubundu” ethos taking firm roots especially in Paul Kigame's Rwanda, after its horrendous genocidal war of 1994. What are the similarities between both and where do they part ways, if at all? Hear from Prof. Badejo: “The first part of my Zimbabwe experience was titled 'Quick Visit to Zimbabwe: My Case for the Rekindling of the Ubuntu spirit in Africa'. I got diverse reactions, including some on the meaning of 'Ubuntu' itself. I think I should share an interesting exchange that arose from my first write-up, including using the opportunity to explain a bit on the meaning of Ubuntu.

By Bolanle Bolawole

Last Thursday, 16th March, 2023, the news media was awash with a statement from the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, titled “Nigeria: At the cusp of renewed hope”; I agree but also disagree with some aspects of the statement.

By Emeka Obasi

Power is sweet, political power is dangerous when used beyond acceptable limits. Some Nigerian governors are heading to a new lonely world which will welcome them on May 29. Your Excellency will be heard faintly, the appurtenances of office will be offloaded.

By Jude Ogechi Eze

The term "Obidients" no longer needs introduction. Posterity will have a vast space of honour for it. It is prominently cited across all geopolitical lexicography; thanks to the enthusiasm among our Youths, influenced by Peter Obi's irresistible leadership philosophy that has renewed the hope of ordinary citizens that "a new Nigeria is possible." It is a bold statement of purpose by the teeming youths who advocate good governance — an extension of#EndSARS mass protest. A historic movement!

By Azu Ishiekwene

For the third time since 1999, I voted at a general election on February 25 and did so without much hassle. I knew my candidates would lose at the unit where I voted, but that didn’t matter. Voting mattered more.

By Bolanle Bolawole

Last week, former vice-president and PDP presidential candidate in the recently-concluded presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, led some Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governors, party leaders and supporters to stage a protest at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. Their grouse was what they described as the rigging of the Saturday, 25th February, 2023 presidential election that they claimed Atiku won but which, to them, was rigged by INEC in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (now President-elect). APC mocked Atiku and the others, urging them to stop dancing “skelewu” in the open. Governor of Rivers state and Atiku’s albatross, Nyesom Wike, also mocked the black-attired protesters.

By Hassan Gimba

Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State, is one of the most promising visionary nationalists, bridge-builders and democrats we have in this country.

By Vincent Chinedu Ani

Against all odds, Professor Bart Nnaji is a hero of true democracy. A man whose pedigree transcends beyond the shores of our Nation Nigeria. It’s a blessing to have a man like him come from this part of the world. God planted him here for such a time as this.