Nigeria is a country governed largely by older political leaders. According to the National Population Commission, over 60% of the population is under the age of 35, and nearly 75% below 40. Young people make up the largest percentage of Nigeria’s population. Yet, this number has not translated into balanced political power. Instead, Nigerian youths […]
Recent election cycles have raised concerns about vote buying, which has also dominated discussions about Nigeria’s democratic process. Despite measures taken by institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, designed to address the menace, the practice continues to undermine the electoral process. Vote buying is the exchange of votes for money or other incentives […]
President Bola Tinubu has relieved the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. This was announced in a memo disclosed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. According to the memo, Edun was relieved alongside Umar Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development. Edun is to […]
Political godfatherism is a system in which influential individuals support candidates vying for political office and control them once they are in office. It is generally regarded as a transactional relationship, where the godfather makes it possible for the candidate to scale all political and electoral hurdles, in exchange for a promise of some reward, […]
In a country grappling with grave security challenges, from kidnapping and banditry to communal violence, billions of naira are allocated annually to what is generally known as security votes. Yet, insecurity, in one way or another, still persists across many communities in all 36 states of Nigeria. The safety of citizens has been questioned, while […]
In Nigeria, the daily lives of citizens are shaped by challenges that are impossible to ignore, from bad roads and poor water supply to poor electricity, overcrowded classrooms for students, and poor health care facilities lacking drugs and basic equipment. Yet Nigeria operates a system of government designed to bring governance closer to the people. […]
When Sheriff Oborevwori, defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2025, it signaled more than a regular political shift. The move, which involved several key stakeholders within the state, followed an ongoing pattern of realignments within Nigeria’s opposition outfit. By realignments, this writer refers to the shifting […]
High nomination fees have become a serious barrier to political participation in Nigeria as political parties continue to commercialize access to the electoral process, turning simple democratic processes into a practice of the highest bidder. Parties openly restrict participation to wealthy aspirants by setting huge costs of nomination and expression of interest forms, undermining the […]
In a political race highly dominated by men, Princess Chichi Ojei, of the Allied Peoples Movement, stood as the only female candidate in the 2023 presidential election; one woman against a field of powerful and influential men, the only woman among 17 men running for president, and only the third in Nigeria’s history. Her candidacy […]
The childhood season is meant to be a season for learning, discovery, play, and growth -intellectually and emotionally. It is meant to be a season where dreams are formed, and potential is shaped. For many children in our society today however, these critical seasons have instead become a season to labour. As some children wake […]