As a proud Nigerian who believes in this nation’s greatness, I am often astonished when some northern political leaders lament against President Tinubu while clamoring for yet another northern presidency in 2027. This demand comes so soon after Buhari’s eight years in power, a period during which opportunistic politicians exploited an ailing leader and squandered Nigeria’s wealth. To insist on reclaiming the presidency for the north in 2027 is, to say the least, suffocating. Despite...

Words matter. Throughout history, words have been used as weapons, carefully chosen and deliberately deployed to dehumanize, demonize, marginalize, stereotype, and ultimately destroy. From the apartheid regime in South Africa to the Holocaust in Europe to Jim Crow in the United States, language has always been the prelude to violence. In Nigeria, the scars of the Biafran war and the massacre of Igbos in the 1970s remain fresh reminders that ethnic stigmatization is never innocent....

The trajectory of Nigeria’s democratic development remains fraught with contradictions. While regular elections may signal democratic continuity, the persistent entanglement of electoral processes with money, violence, and state-sanctioned repression undermines the substance of democratic governance. The 2015 presidential election serves as a critical juncture in this narrative, revealing the extent to which institutional legitimacy can be compromised when democratic processes are subordinated to power politics and strategic violence. One of the most controversial episodes preceding...

Today, I write with great joy and admiration to wish you, Prof. Chris Chinwe Ulasi, a delighted 70th birthday. It is a glorious milestone, and my family and I are honored to join friends and colleagues in celebrating this remarkable occasion with you here in Cancun, Mexico. Since I first met you in 2005 at Texas Southern University (TSU), Houston, Texas, you have consistently demonstrated that you are a true Nwannedinamba—a brother from Anambra State,...

Before the last Nigerian presidential election win of May 29, 2023, I wrote in this same forum that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu had the capacity and democratic pedigree to lead Nigeria. That view was grounded in his role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggles, especially during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. Today, I appeal to President Tinubu to reaffirm those values by helping to resolve the protracted case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—not by force, but...