LAURETTA ONOCHIE

Shettima and Tinubu   How does a sitting Vice-President become invisible in his own party? Who keeps removing his image from official programmes—and why does nobody correct it? At what point does silence become policy, omission become intention, and coincidence become design? And if power has already moved on, why does the Vice-President remain, smiling beside a door that is quietly being shut? These are not idle questions. They go to the heart of power, democracy, and institutional dignity in Nigeria today. What began as murmurs has hardened into a pattern: repeated APC programmes—national, zonal, and stakeholder meetings—centred on President Bola Tinubu increasingly carry no image of the Vice-President. Not once. Not twice. Repeatedly. In different regions. Over time. Without correction. Without apology. Without explanation. In Nigerian politics, visuals are not decorations. They are declarations. Posters, banners, backdrops, and stage designs are deliberate acts of messagin...

Lagos, Home Of Northern Gold  If the South, especially Lagos, has endlessly mocked the North as a parasite — living off oil and Lagos taxes — what does it mean now that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government wants Northern gold to be refined in Lagos? Is the North only a parasite until its resources become useful? On January 18, 2026, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) publicly blasted what it called the siting of a “National Gold Refinery” in Lagos, accusing the Federal Government of violating Nigeria’s constitutional principles of equity and federal balance. NEF pointed out that Nigeria’s commercially viable gold deposits are overwhelmingly in the North, yet value addition — the refinery — was suddenly in Lagos.  The government hastily responded that the refinery is not a federal project but a private initiative of a company called Kian Smith. Officials described NEF’s claim as false and misleading. But the harsh truth is that this back-and-forth exposes a deeper, structural ...

In October 1919, President Woodrow Wilson suffered a massive stroke that left him partially paralyzed and largely incapacitated for the remaining 17 months of his term. The cover-up, seclusion, impaired judgements and political consequences, haunted America for years. When a person of means or authority is terminally ill, destructive behaviours are not inevitable, but the risk increases if the illness is hidden, poorly managed, or accompanied by fear, denial, or cognitive decline. In such cases, harm usually comes through the misuse of power, not personal actions. I will limit this piece to political leaders in general. Common patterns include: 1. Authoritarian overreach Fear of losing control can drive a terminally ill leader into: Crackdowns on dissent, protests, and opposition parties Abuse of security agencies to intimidate critics Suspension or manipulation of democratic processes This is often rooted in paranoia, insecurity, or a desire to leave a “strongman” legacy.   2. Wea...

  NIGERIANS AND TINUBU’S SUFFOCATING, FORGED TAX POLICY Nigeria is groaning under an economic weight under the Pres. Tinubu dictatorship. At a time when citizens are battling inflation, unemployment, and the rising cost of basic survival, the Tinubu administration’s tax regime has become an additional noose—tightening around households, small businesses, and the productive middle class. Taxes, in a responsible democracy, are instruments for development. They are meant to be fair, consultative, lawful, and proportionate to citizens’ capacity to pay. What Nigerians are witnessing today, however, is a forged tax policy—one hurriedly assembled, aggressively enforced, and seemingly disconnected from economic realities on the ground. A Policy Without Compassion or Consent From multiple levies to increased tariffs and charges, Nigerians are confronted with taxes that appear neither debated nor democratically owned. The informal sector, which sustains millions, is harassed. Small and...

EFCC’s Open Defiance of Court Order, Continued Illegal Detention, and Media Trial of Abubakar Malami, SAN From: Office of Abubakar Malami, SAN Date: 23 December 2025 The Office of Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, issues this press release to formally alert the Nigerian public and the international community to the brazen, contemptuous, and lawless conduct of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its handling of matters concerning Mr. Malami. Following the clear and unequivocal court order granted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on 23 December 2025, admitting Abubakar Malami, SAN, to bail on already fulfilled conditions, officials of the EFCC were formally served with the court process. Rather than comply with the authority of the court, the Commission refused to accept the court-backed letter, chased away the bailiff, and insisted on the continued detention of Mr. Malami in blatant defia...

The Office of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, issues this press release to formally address the ongoing detention, investigation, and threatened prosecution of Malami by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which he categorically describes as a politically motivated witch-hunt precipitated by his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). THE MOTIVE: HISTORICAL ANIMOSITY AND MALICIOUS PERSONAL VENDETTA  Malami states that the present actions of the EFCC are not borne out of law enforcement imperatives but are instead driven by deep-seated historical animosity and a malicious personal vendetta orchestrated by the EFCC Chairman. While serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, Malami recalls that the Federal Government constituted the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate grave allegations of corruption and abuse of office within the EFCC. At the time, the curre...