Author: Sanusi A S Maikudi, FNIM

I READ with keen interest the thoughtful piece by Engr. Bello Gwarzo Abdullahi titled “The Futility of Political Godfatherism.” He rightly highlighted how this corrosive practice continues to undermine our democracy and distort leadership recruitment in Nigeria. His essay is a timely reminder of the dangers of allowing self-styled “kingmakers” to hold the political process hostage. Yet, to grasp the persistence of godfatherism, one must step back and look at the broader canvas of Third World politics. Unlike in mature democracies where ideology, policy debates, and competing visions of society drive political contestation, politics in Nigeria and similar societies is…

WHEN former UN Special Representative Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas addressed the News Agency of Nigeria’s International Lecture Series recently, his warning rang like a fire alarm across the region: the insecurity consuming the Sahel is not just a regional headache, it is a ticking time bomb for Nigeria and the world. This was not an academic lecture for policy wonks. It was a moral and strategic appeal for Nigerians to recognize that the flames devouring communities across the Sahel are already licking at our own borders — and that failure to act could prove catastrophic. For too long, crises in…