Author: Kazeem Akintunde

THE succession battle in Oyo State has become a high-wired political drama with all the major contenders going for one another’s jugular in a bid to influence who takes over from Governor Seyi Makinde in next year’s governorship election. At the heart of the roforofo fight is the incumbent Governor himself, Makinde, who is determined in having a say in who takes over from him in 2027. In doing so, he is bent on single-handedly choosing who becomes the gubernatorial candidate in his now almost dead People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as having an input in the rival All…

SINCE last year, when the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) started ‘acquiring’ State Governors, lawmakers and other politicians elected on the platform of other political parties, especially those from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), many political watchers have cried out in alarm that Nigeria is gradually drifting towards a one-party state. How is it difficult to realize that many of the political parties in Nigeria are bereft of any ideological leanings and are just there as special purpose vehicles to political power? In saner democracies, defections often signal deep disagreements about policy or principle. Hardly will you see a…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Thursday last week to condole with the people of the state over Palm Sunday’s terror attack at Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area by unknown gunmen that left 28 people dead and several others injured. The condolence visit, which was more like a brief stopover, began and ended at the Jos Airport, and has left many Nigerians wondering why the President embarked on the visit at all if he could not spend time with those hurting after losing their loved ones. In a not-too-distant past in Nigeria,…

THE plight of an Okada rider in Nigeria has brought into sharp focus, the impact of the ongoing war between Israel and the United States of America on one hand, and Iran on another, as well as its effects on global economy. The okada man set out on his daily hustle last week, looking for daily bread, but after working for several hours, he was back to square one, as there was nothing to show for his effort, no thanks to the skyrocketing price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol. His day, which began with a visit…

THE 2026 Global Terrorism Index report (GTI), released last week by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), shows that Nigeria experienced the largest year-on-year increase in terrorism-related deaths globally. The surge propelled Nigeria to fourth place on the index, trailing only Pakistan, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In 2025, Nigeria was ranked sixth, while in 2024, we were eighth in the world. Nigeria’s ascent in the rankings comes amid decade-long security crisis characterised by an escalation in terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings. The violence and associated deaths have taken a heavy toll on the nation’s security apparatus, with several senior military…

THE distance between Nigeria and Israel is approximately 3,642 kilometres (2,263 miles). If you are to fly directly from Lagos to Tel Aviv, it will take about 4 hours. However, because there are no direct flights, you may spend between 15 to 20 hours depending on layover. Again, the distance between Nigeria and Iran is approximately 5,297 and flight time between both countries takes around 10 to 11 hours. The direct air distance between Nigeria and the USA is approximately 10,661 to 10,671 kilometres (about 6,624 to 6,630 miles). A flight from Lagos to Washington DC or New York typically…

ON August 15th, the people of Osun State will head for the poll to elect a new Governor. The incumbent, Ademola Adeleke, formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will be on the ballot but this time, as the flag bearer of the Accord Party, believing that he deserves a second term for his impact on the lives of many during his first term. The main opposition party in the state, the All Progressive Congress (APC) being the party at the centre is also very determined to win back the state. Both parties are throwing everything into their campaigns in…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week, sent shockwaves down the spine of many Nigerians in the oil sector when he signed an Executive Order for the direct remittance of oil and gas revenues to the Federation Account. The Order, the President said, would safeguard and enhance oil and gas revenues for the federation, curb wasteful spending, and eliminate duplicative structures in the oil and gas sector. In effect, the NNPC Limited will no longer collect and manage the 30 per cent frontier exploration fund, according to the Executive Order, which is now an official gazette. With that, the NNPC is…

THE Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health and one of its agencies, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has been engaging stakeholders in the industry on the need to stop the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and small bottles (below 200 ml) in the country since 2018. I know for a fact that several stakeholders’ meetings were held where the dangers of the continued production and consumption of alcohol in sachets and small bottles poses great danger to public health, especially the youths. As Special Assistant, Communication and Strategy to the former…

NIGERIANS once again, woke up to the sad news of the gruesome murder of over 160 men, women, and children in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government area of Kwara State last week. The attackers, numbering over 100, who came from the neigbouring Kainji Lake National Park, were on a mission that was purely to maim and destroy the entire community. The sin for which the targeted community had to pay the heavy price for was their temerity to report the terrorists’ activities to security operatives. Earlier this year, locals of the community got news from the terrorists,…

IN the last five years in the five South Eastern states of Anambra, Imo, Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi, Mondays have been declared sit-at-home days, meaning a no-work day. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in 2021, ordered that Mondays be observed as a no-work-day in those states in solidarity with their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya, and ferried back home to face prosecution over his agitation for the creation of Biafra Republic out of Nigeria. The sit-at-home protests, enforced by IPOB and its militant wing, the Eastern Security Network, since 2021, has transformed from a symbolic act…

THE trend of abductions and kidnapping for ransom as a big business in Nigeria is worrying and should be declared a national disaster. The planned, well-coordinated criminal enterprise is growing, with a large number of people providing different services to feed the ‘supply chain’. There are the snitches, who provide information on soft targets. They monitor the movement of those who have been marked for abduction and give the information to those that would execute the plan. The ‘execution squad’ carry out the operation, with their job being to pick the target up and lead them to a ‘’safe house’’…

IN the last couple of months following the installation of Oba Akeem Owoade as the Alaafin of Oyo, the Ooni of Ifa, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi added new nomenclature for himself. He is no longer just the Ooni of Ife, he now goes about with the unnecessary and mouthful titles of The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide. Not to be outdone by the craze for highfaluting words that actually mean nothing, the Alaafin of Oyo soon added his own. Oba Owoade is…

IN the last couple of days, Rivers State has been in the news for the wrong reasons. Since the 2023 general elections that returned Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of the State, the state has not enjoyed any semblance of peace beyond six months. The state and its development has been bogged down by two men who have big-sized egos and have been torn apart by the lucre of office. Rivers State as an oil producing state, is amongst the top three states in the country that is associated with the highest monthly revenue figures from the federation account. At…

ONE issue that would dominate discourse this year is the new tax laws which came into effect on January 1. Asides partisan politics, the tax issue would command significant attention. Already, many Nigerians are apprehensive on what to expect and how much the tax man (President Tinubu) is likely to take from their pockets. Banks have already sent out notices to their customers on the payment of a N50 stamp duty on any transfer above N10,000. E-hailing Cab drivers have raised the alarm on what they termed double VAT deductions from their fees. Some Nigerians are considering closing down their…

IN the next forty-eight hours, the world would bid goodbye to the year 2025 and usher in a New Year. As it is our practice, The Discourse will today, review the outgoing year, point out areas of progress in our national life, and offer suggestions on what we can do better to make life more meaningful for Nigerians. At the beginning of 2025, the economy was still weighed down by high inflation, elevated interest rates, and weak consumer demand due to the high prices of goods, especially food items, as well as subdued business activity following subsidy removal, exchange-rate liberalisation,…

NIGERIA’s oil sector rumbled last week, when the Chairman of the Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote alleged that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, was spending millions of dollars on his children’s education in Switzerland, an amount far beyond his means as a public servant. Prior to that, he had accused the same Ahmed of economic sabotage for undermining domestic fuel refining efforts in Nigeria. Dangote insisted that the leadership of the NMDPRA under Ahmed was colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through…

SENATOR Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central depicted a sorrowful figure last week on the floor of the upper chamber when he complained bitterly that his orderly had been withdrawn on the order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He was amongst those politically exposed Nigerians, top business executives, musicians, and several others whom the Nigerian state provided police protection for, but have now been stripped of the privilege. In fact, the President’s directive is now forcing those affected to look elsewhere for protection. Raising the issue under ‘’matters of national concern’’, Ningi, like a child whose toy has been snatched, told…

NINETEEN Northern State Governors alongside their traditional rulers met in Kaduna last week Monday to rub minds and possibly work out practical solutions to the insecurity crisis that has not only engulfed the region, but threatening to consume it. At the end of their parley, the Governors came up with recommendations that they believed would provide solutions to what is gradually becoming an intractable crisis facing the region. On top of their recommendations was the call on the Federal Government to place a six-month suspension on mining activities across the region. They blamed illegal mining activities for the worsening insecurity…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week Wednesday, declared a nationwide security emergency in response to the escalating wave of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorist attacks in most parts of the country. The declaration involves several directives aimed at bolstering the country’s security architecture in a bid to save the nation from the hands of marauding terrorists. He ordered the Army, Police, and intelligence services to immediately expand recruitment and deploy thousands of additional personnel to the field. The Police and Army have been directed to recruit 20,000 additional men. Tinubu also directed the Department of State Services to deploy all trained…