Category: Opinion

Make no mistake: the Osun State governorship election, slated for August 8, this year, is far from a done deal. We are looking at a scrappy, bruising, super three-horse race. The current clout of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun simply does not mirror its dominance in Ekiti, where the ruling party appears more entrenched ahead of its own June 20, 2026 contest.   With no real ideological daylight between the major contenders – the Accord Party (A), the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), and the APC – personality will…

Prince Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi and Prince Okunade Sijuwade were good friends in the 1960s and early 70s. Adeyemi, a prince of Oyo and direct descendant of Alaafin Atiba, was a boxer before he became an insurance broker. Sijuwade was a journalist briefly when he worked with the Nigerian Tribune and from there he moved into private business, becoming a millionaire when he was barely 30. Sijuwade was a prince from Ile-Ife, the source of Yoruba civilization and kingship system. Both of them were ambitious to ascend the thrones of their…

For years, Alhaja Rabiat Adunni Musa has chosen the quieter path of service showing up, organising, nurturing, and giving, often without fanfare. On Sunday in Mararaba, that quiet devotion stepped into the spotlight as the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria honoured her for a lifetime of faith-driven service and humanitarian commitment. The recognition came during the Society’s 10th Annual Programme, Fund Raising and Awards Ceremony, held on January 18, 2026, at Zinaria International School, Mararaba, a gathering that blended prayer, reflection, and gratitude in the sacred month of Rajab. Those who…

On Monday, 25 March, 1946, Chief I. B. Akinyele, Chief James Ladejo Ogunsola, Messrs D. T. Akinbiyi and E. A. Sanda, the very cream of the Ibadan educated elite, met behind closed doors with Oyo town delegates at the secretariat in Ibadan. One of them got home that day and wrote in his diary that they “could reach no agreement because we (Ibadan) flatly refused to pay one penny towards the Alaafin’s salary.”   Yet, some 84 years earlier (1862), the same Ibadan went to war against friends, family, and…

A husband who enjoys shrinking, belittling you is a grave digger. If he uses words like fists, beats you emotionally until your confidence bleeds, get help or get out or both.” How could she not have seen this coming? Why did she not speak up? Why didn’t she leave, seek help? Each time a wife is killed by her husband and the media is awash with sordid details of another marriage becoming a crime scene—we ask the same weary questions. Didn’t she see the signs? Why didn’t anyone stop him?…

By the end of 2025, Yobe State stood out as Nigeria’s top state in Primary Health Care (PHC). At the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge Awards in Abuja, it was recognised as a national leader in healthcare delivery. Yobe was named Best Performing state in the North-East for the second year in a row, after also winning in 2024. Each time, the state received a $500,000 prize.   Yobe State also won the Overall Best Performing State in Nigeria at the event, earning an additional $700,000. Altogether, the state received $1.2…

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Abuja Chapter, has urged religious leaders, security agencies, and communities to join forces against rising insecurity and drug abuse in Nigeria, highlighting that these twin crises threaten the nation’s moral, social, and economic stability. The call came during a public lecture held on Saturday at the National Mosque Conference Hall, Abuja, titled “The Role of the Ummah in Addressing Insecurity and Drug Abuse in Nigeria.” The event drew a broad audience, including religious leaders, students, academics, civil society groups, and faith-based organizations, reflecting widespread concern…

The title of this commentary reflects a question asked wherever people gather – on buses, in bars, and at parties. Modern life revolves around the reliable provision of electricity, water and mass transit. Without power, the simple task of pumping water becomes nightmarish; relying on handheld pumps is a physically exhausting struggle.   Dealing with our so-called electricity distribution companies is like living through a series of ‘tales of the unexpected’. It is a tragicomedy of the highest order! Many have endured the harrowing frustration of failing to load prepaid…