LAURETTA ONOCHIE

  There is a bitter irony unfolding in Niger State. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu bears the traditional title Jagaban of Borgu. But beyond traditional titles, ceremonies and political symbolism, he occupies a position carrying a far greater constitutional responsibility: President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And today, the question from the traumatised communities of Niger State is painfully simple: Who will protect the people? The latest report of gunmen invading a mosque during Friday prayers and abducting worshippers is yet another frightening reminder that insecurity is no longer merely disrupting ordinary life. It is invading farms, roads, villages, homes—and now places of worship, all under a Jagaban. People went to the mosque to pray. They were not combatants. They carried no weapons. They were worshippers observing Juma’at prayers. Yet armed men entered their sanctuary and carried Nigerians away from Borgu, under Jagaban. THE...

Welcome To Atiku's Affordable Nigeria.  Fuel is not just what Nigerians put in their cars. Fuel moves the farmer. Fuel moves the food. Fuel moves the worker. Fuel moves the student. Fuel powers the small business. Fuel moves Nigeria. So when President Tinubu removed the Fuel subsidy without notice, Nigerians went into shock. From then on, chaos took over homes and businesses across the nation. Many local businesses closed down. Shoprite, Netflix, etc., fled the country.  The gains of the Subsidy Removal only benefited Tinubu, his family and cronies. They grew fatter and  their pockets swelled while Nigerians sank in abject penury, barely affording a meal a day. Poverty skyrocketed with pain and anguish, everywhere. When the price of energy explodes, the price of almost everything follows.  A few days ago, the incompetent and insensitive Ignoramus Aso Villa Occupant panicked. He fell apart, after reading that his foremost challenger, the ADC Presidential Candidat...

YOU CANNOT TURN 2015 TO 2023. There is something increasingly confusing about the narrative being presented to Nigerians in the last few days. When President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office on 29th of May 2015, Nigeria was confronted by a genuine salary crisis at the state level. Twenty-seven out of the 36 states were unable to meet their salary obligations. Some workers had accumulated months of unpaid salaries. That is not folklore. It is not tale by the moonlight. It is part of Nigeria's documented history. Pres. Buhari spoke and agonised about it. The Nigerian Media, made headlines out of the issue.  The Buhari administration responded with an extraordinary financial intervention designed to help distressed states clear salary arrears. The relief package had several components: First, $2.1 billion from Nigeria LNG proceeds was shared through the Federation Account. Second, the Central Bank of Nigeria established a special intervention facility through which distressed states co...

There are controversies that disappear with time. There are others that refuse to die because the questions at their centre have never been satisfactorily put to rest. As Nigeria marches towards the 2027 presidential election, the controversy surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's educational history belongs firmly in the second category. This is not a matter that should be settled by insults, partisan loyalty or political intimidation. It should be settled by records. Because there is one rule of education that even a child understands: You cannot build something on nothing. THE LESSON FROM UNILAG More than half a century ago, the University of Lagos was confronted with an admissions scandal associated with one of its senior administrative officers, Mr. Owosho, then a Deputy Registrar. Accounts of the 1974 affair describe an investigation into students who had gained admission using fraudulent examination results and qualifications. The scandal involved verification with the We...

In recent months, some politically naive Nigerians have argued that the existence of more than one opposition party in the 2027 presidential election will automatically guarantee victory for the incumbent incompetent and docile president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. While this argument may appear persuasive on the surface, it does not accurately reflect how democracy works in practice, nor anywhere in the world. A healthy democracy is not designed around one ruling party and one opposition party. Rather, it is built on political pluralism—the freedom of citizens to establish, join, and support political parties that reflect different philosophies, ideologies, and visions for governance. Political parties are not merely electoral vehicles. They are institutions founded on principles, values, and policy preferences, except the All Progressives Congress, which has now lost its foundational values and principles. Some political associations place greater emphasis on free markets, others on social w...

In politics, character is often revealed not in moments of triumph, but in moments of temptation. I recently watched a video in which former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, recounted an episode from Nigeria's political history. According to his account, some governors were prepared to support Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's emergence as President while President Olusegun Obasanjo was still in office. Rather than seize the opportunity, Kalu said Atiku knelt before them and pleaded that he could not betray the President under whom he was serving. Whether one agrees with Atiku politically or not, the story speaks to a quality that is increasingly rare in public life—loyalty to principle over personal ambition. I had my own encounter that reinforced this impression. Late in 2025, while I was in the United Kingdom for personal reasons, I received a WhatsApp message directly from Atiku Abubakar requesting that we meet to discuss our political association in the African Democratic Congre...

In Nigeria today, scandals are beginning to resemble a doctor’s prescription: take one tablet every day. Hardly does the country recover from one disturbing revelation before another lands on the national table. A questionable budget line today. A fictitious government Agency tomorrow. An appointee refusing to obey the President the next day. Then, almost casually, a senior official is caught on camera encouraging the destabilisation of an opposition party. And a dead body in a locked room. Individually, each controversy is troubling. Collectively, they paint a frightening picture of a government whose internal controls, moral authority and respect for democratic institutions are steadily deteriorating. Not every allegation has been conclusively proved in court. Some remain subjects of investigation with predetermined outcomes and official denial. But when controversies become this frequent—and when transparent explanations are repeatedly delayed—public suspicion is no longer unreasona...

Dear Baba, A year has passed since your departure, and for many Nigerians, it has also been a year of deep reflection.  Death has a way of silencing political arguments and inviting sober assessment. It encourages us to look beyond party loyalties and ask a simple question: How are the people faring now? Today, many Nigerians describe life as extraordinarily difficult. The rising cost of food, transportation, electricity, healthcare, and other essentials has placed immense pressure on households. Families are stretching every naira. Small and large businesses are shutting down. Young people worry about employment, while pensioners and low-income earners face growing financial strain. In moments like these, people often look back at previous administrations with fresh eyes. Some Nigerians say they now appreciate your time in office that they may have overlooked while you were President. Others who see only through ethnicity and religion, continue to criticize decisions made during y...

The attempt to undermine the constitutional rights of duly registered political parties has sparked a powerful response from Nigerians who believe that democracy must remain bigger than politics, bigger than parties, and bigger than any individual. Across the nation, voices have risen in defense of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the rule of law, and the sacred principles of multiparty democracy. Today, we pause to express our profound appreciation to all those who stood firm when it mattered most. We thank the Justices of the Court of Appeal for their timely intervention in preserving constitutional order and ensuring that due process remains the foundation of our legal system. We thank the leadership of INEC for remaining guided by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, recognizing that democratic rights cannot be extinguished by arbitrary interpretations or political pressure. We salute the Nigerian Bar Association, members of the legal profession, constitution...

The emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been greeted with excitement and optimism by millions of supporters across Nigeria and beyond. For many Nigerians, his emergence represents not just the candidacy of an experienced statesman, but the elevation of a leader whose life and public service have consistently demonstrated a commitment to education, human development, and national progress. Among the qualities that distinguish Atiku Abubakar is his deep and abiding passion for education. He understands that no nation can achieve sustainable development without investing heavily in the education of its citizens. His personal journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of Nigeria's most accomplished entrepreneurs and political leaders has reinforced his belief that education remains the most powerful instrument for breaking the cycle of poverty and creating opportunities for future generations. This conviction is not...

Let us begin with agriculture. Or rather, let us pretend to begin with agriculture, because that is what the 2026 budget does best. The federal government has allocated record sums to farming, irrigation, and livestock development across all tiers of government. Northern states alone are throwing hundreds of billions at the problem — Jigawa earmarked N75 billion for agriculture, Kaduna dedicated 11.65 percent of its nearly N1 trillion budget to food security, and Kano set aside N26 billion plus another N64 billion for water supply to support irrigation . On paper, this looks like a government that cares about hunger. On paper, a lot of things look good. On paper, I look like someone who has their life together. But here is the hilarious part — and by hilarious, I mean the kind of hilarious that makes you want to weep into your garri. Despite all this money being budgeted, hunger is tightening its grip on Northern Nigeria like a bankruptcy on a lottery winner. An estimated six million p...