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There are three things a Nigerian politician cannot do without: a convoy, dark sunglasses (indoors), and an ADC in crisp uniform standing directly behind them like a decorative piece of state furniture. The ADC — Aide-de-Camp, in theory — is meant to be a disciplined military officer assigned to assist with protocol and security. In …
Continue reading "Nigeria’s Ruling Class and Their Emotional Support ADCs By Lawson Akhigbe"
Nigeria likes to describe itself as a federation, but in truth it is a federation still under construction, with scaffolding left behind by decades of military rule. The structure exists, the blueprints are visible, but the builders keep disagreeing over which floor belongs to whom—and sometimes the foreman in Abuja simply takes over the entire …
Continue reading "Nigeria’s Federalism: A Work in Progress, Interrupted by Khaki"
When we look at the modern political landscape, we often search for historical parallels to understand the moment we are living through. We compare leaders to strongmen of the past, caudillos, populists, or monarchs. But perhaps the most accurate analogy for understanding Donald Trump’s view of the presidency is not a general or a king, …
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain. Being asked to explain that which I hate
There was a time when anti-corruption in Nigeria required investigators, case files, dramatic press conferences and the occasional handcuff parade. Those were the old, inefficient days. Then came Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who simplified the entire justice system with one elegant doctrinal innovation: cross over and be cleansed. …
Centre for Nigeria Progress 