The Disillusionment of a Citizen

I was a Nigerian from birth. My roots stretch across the soils of the North, where my earliest memories were shaped, and where my father once fought to keep this country united. In his time, the dream of One Nigeria burned bright — imperfect but hopeful. He believed, like many of his generation, that the …

The Old Coups, the New Chorus, and Nigeria’s Eternal Game of Selective Outrage By Lawson Akhigbe

Kanu Nigeria’s political history has a strange, almost theatrical habit of repeating itself—often with new actors but the same tired script. Back in January 1966, young military officers staged a coup that shook the country to its foundations. The bulk of the federal politicians killed happened, incidentally, to be from the North and West. This …

The Great British Drawbridge: Now With Extra Spice by Lawson Akhigbe

Shabana Mahmood Suella Braverman Priti Patel Sajid Javid Is it a coincidence that Asian UK politicians have a particular talent for yanking up the drawbridge with the enthusiasm of a castle guard who’s just spotted a caravan of undocumented aunties arriving from Heathrow Terminal 4? At this rate, one begins to suspect that every Asian …

The Great Unraveling: How Wike’s Guerrilla War and Tinubu’s Firefighting Are Reshaping Nigerian Politics by Lawson Akhigbe

If Nigerian politics feels like a relentless, high-stakes drama right now, you're not mistaken. While the nation fights tangible insurgents in the bushes, a different kind of insurgency is tearing through the halls of power in Abuja. The main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is engaged in a civil war, and the ruling All …

The Silence of the Opposition: How Procedural Ignorance and Complacency Cripple Democracy by Lawson Akhigbe

The recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and its subsequent approval by the Nigerian Senate has unfolded not as a dramatic political showdown, but as a case study in legislative failure. While the constitution is clear that such a grave declaration requires the approval of two-thirds of voting senators, the process …