“No one can successfully prove election rigging by relying on the same results announced by INEC or by minor infractions like pockets of outrage, and intimidation of some voters, among others,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The recent publication by The Economist Intelligence Unit, in which they emphatically predicted that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, will not sack President Bola Tinubu, has sparked outrage in the camp of the opposition. Supporters of the PDP and LP have faulted...

Last week, during my private visit to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Remi Adeoye, while we were catching up, his orderly came in to inform him that Chief IG Nwanna was around to see him. Immediately, he got up from his seat and said that he should be ushered in. Then, he stepped out of his seat and said to me, “IG Nwanna was my oga in the early 1990s in Onitsha. He...

“Fake stories trend in Nigeria because there is a big market for them,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Trending fake stories have become a major part of the post 2023 General Election in Nigeria. There is hardly any week after the General Election that no fake story has trended. These fake stories, which often originate from Twitter and WhatsApp, are immediately pounced on and devoured. The stories are believed without questions or elementary due diligence and sworn-on, by...

“The mere fact that Southeast leaders often try to resolve the symptom instead of the problem translates to postponing the doomsday,” —Ebuka Onyekwelu There has been a sustained call for the release of the leader of the prescribed Indigenous People of Biafra – IPOB, by Southeast leaders. So many leaders of the Southeast have called, cajoled, appealed, and begged the Federal Government to release unconditionally, Nnamdi Kanu. Months ago, the governor of Anambra state Prof....

” The Governor is the chief security officer while senator Ubah remains an elected servant and concerned indigene, complementing the state government’s efforts.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Just towards the end of last week, I observed with great dismay an unraveling politicization of the current war against bandits in parts of Anambra State. Upon assumption of office, Governor Soludo met a state that is heavily traumatized by rampaging gunmen who have made bold their trade and were...

” It is pretentious for anyone to pose as though there has ever been a time in Anambra State when security was never a thing of popular concern.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu At least since this week, the argument on the level of security or lack of it in Anambra State has ignited once again. Every governor of the state since Governor Mbadinuju, have been confronted with this same issue. During Governor Mbadinuju, it was so bad...

“Since 2015, only Hon. Somto has won any election in Ogbaru with APGA” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The emergence of Rt. Hon. Somto Udeze, representing Ogbaru II constituency as the Speaker of Anambra State 8th House of Assembly is akin to using a single stone to kill many birds. In terms of qualification, academically, Hon. Somto is rounding up his doctorate programme and it is doubtful that there is any member of the 8th Assembly that holds...

“It becomes even more disturbing as the country would now borrow to fund the subsidy ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu Perhaps, nothing epitomizes Nigeria’s ideological war more than the recurring argument over whether to remove or not remove fuel subsidy. Since the inception of this democratic dispensation, each government has had to deal with the issue of fuel subsidy removal, in one way or another. But largely, what is in display with the recurrent argument on fuel...

“By far, the 2023 General election was the best outing ever recorded by Ifeanyi Ubah throughout his political voyage ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu For about a decade and half, Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator representing Anambra South senatorial district, has continued to build a fascinating political model that is worthy of some close examination. At first, he was launched into the scene as a ‘philanthropist’, with resounding media buzz. Years on, he has normalized that identity within...

” …limitations of Nigerian voters is the third critical obstruction to a robust legislature in Nigeria. ” —Ebuka Onyekwelu The legislature as an arm of the government, is a critical democratic institution which as a result, has unlimited tenure of office for members. For the executive arm, there is a stipulated tenure of office; maximum of two terms of eight years. But for the legislature, from the State House of Assembly to the National Assembly,...