MY 'BESTS' OF 2016

This year was by far my busiest professionally as i was in court on almost all working days.I broke my personal record of 4 articles in one month by writing 6 in October in what had to be my most hectic month ever; It was work and right back to typing.As always,life taught me a couple more lessons and i'm grateful for that.A lot of things combined to keep me happy when needed to stay that way,lift my spirits when I was down and take my mind off stuff I needed to shut out.

These are my very 'bests' of 2016.

BEST MOVIE

I didn't really have as much time for TV (i'm old skool like that.Lol) as I used to and most of the time I made out was spent binge watching series.My mom came visiting and we watched a lot of her favourite Hausa movies. I liked one called RUMFAR SHEHU and it had this popular song I kept hearing all round town.It was quite a hilarious movie and I really enjoyed it.

BEST COUPLE

Messi and his long time girlfriend, Antonella reportedly got engaged last month and are set to wed next year.The humble and introverted geniuses are usually better at keeping long term relationships than the loud,flashy and outgoing ones(No disrespect Cristiano Ronaldo.Lol).They tend to live off the little things and value whatever keeps them happy above everything else.

Messi is just that.They have had a crisis-free relationship that seems to have been going on forever and are blessed with 2 gorgeous boys.Its really one of those instances where its only just a matter of making it official.

BEST BOOK

Jeffrey Archers' THE FOURTH ESTATE is a tale of 2 media moguls-one coming from nothing and the other building on what he inherited. Vintage Archer; 2 separate lives crossing paths at the climax.It reminds of another book of his titled SONS OF FORTUNE.

BEST CLUB

Leicester City without a doubt.It was amazing to watch them suprise everyone including themselves en route an epic premier league triumph.Their story would make a great movie-from relegation-battlers to Premier league champions in just a season.Though,they haven't replicated last season's form in the EPL,they have been outstanding in their debut Champions league season and are through to the knock out phases.

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

Cristiano Ronaldo.He won the Uefa Champions League with Real Madrid and scored the most goals in the process. He capped off the 2015/2016 season in some style by winning the Euros with Portugal.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Claudio Ranieri led Leicester City to their magnific Premier league win.Prior to that he was deemed a 'has been' who could no longer hold it down in the big leagues.Ranieri it was who built the great Valencia team of the early 2000s and transformed them into overnight contenders in the major tournaments.He has done same with Leceister City and this was a much harder task considering the circumstances he was able to succeed under.

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

I hand this to Simon Kolawole of TheCableng.He was outstanding all year and I really enjoyed reading him.

ARTICLE OF THE YEAR

My 8 BUHARI GAFFES:THE BAD,THE VERY BAD AND THE UGLY is an article I love so much. Communication skills are essential attributes of good leaders and some of the gaffes highlighted were capable of heating up the polity even if that wasn't the intention of the President.He is heavily flawed in that regard and I think that is why he stopped hosting Media Chats after his first one a year ago.

BEST LEADER

A lot of Governors are hiding behind the country's current financial state to justify their poor performance but I doff my hat to Gov.Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state for the good job he has done so far.More grease to his elbow.

BEST MOMENTS

I got judgment on a matter I took over at the start of the opposing party's case and it was more or less pulling a rabbit out of a hat.The former person handling it had messed the case up bad and I was glad I could turn things around.I got a commendation from the DPP of my state on the respondent's brief I wrote in a virtually hopeless appeal case.He spoke about his plans of pushing for an amendment of the criminal procedural law and he told me he was going to place heavy reliance on that brief.

WORST MOMENTS

I was deeply saddened by the killings of the herdsmen and government's seeming reluctance to sympathize with the victims.

I had some issues with my bank account and believe it or not I couldn't access my funds for months.It got resolved after i put my lawyer hat on and threatened to petiton the CBN.For someone who had to be in the office when he wasn't in court,it was a most trying time and I thank God for family and friends who were there when I 'gassed' out.God bless y'all.

Watching the Super Falcons begging for their dues after the AWCON win broke my heart.These ladies who ordinarily should be handed national awards at the very least were made to suffer for what is rightfully theirs.I also feel saddened by the fact that the record breaking exploits of our Paralympic athletes were not rewarded in any way by the Federal government. Not even a Presidential handshake.Same for our Olympic athletes who were subjected to the worst embarrassment by having to appear in their tracksuits because their attires weren't ready before the opening ceremony.

Fuel got bumped to N145 a litre and the exchange rate kept falling hard like it were Humpty Dumpty.Things got more expensive and it was hard for a lot of Nigerians.

MAN OF THE YEAR

The Rap King of the East,Phyno grew bored at top and delved into pop.He made the biggest hit this year in FADA FADA to prove the success of CONNECT was no fluke and he didn't stop at that.Having conquered the pop terrain, he moved to highlife and recorded 2 back to back hits as well-E SURE FOR ME and PINO PINO.He released the much anticipated THE PLAYMAKER album to critical acclaim.It was amazing to watch him drift through genres like only a Master would.He is undoubtedly the most versatile Nigerian musician at the moment and he has gone on to conquer every territory he has waded into in a manner unprecedented in the history of Nigerian music.Like that title of a song of his,Phyno is my man of the year.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Florence Omagbemi made history as the first African Woman to win the African Women Cup Of Nations as a player and Coach when she led the Super Falcons to victory in this year's edition. She was Captain of the Falcons when women's football started to gain momentum in Africa and she led the team to establish an absolute dominance lasting almost a whole decade.

Amidst a cash strapped campaign,she was able to keep the troops motivated and focused on winning the trophy.

For this feat,Florence Omagbemi is my woman of the year.

A WALK THROUGH MY 2016 PLAYLIST

A lot of good music was made this year and I did try to catch as much I could.Our 'big' local artistes delivered-from Phyno to Sheyi Shay while the lesser foreign artistes fared better than their more established counterparts. Drake's VIEWS  may have shattered lots of sale records but it just didn't work for me.'Ye let me down as well.But overall, the artistes who held it down outweigh those who didn't.
Lets walk through my 2016 playlist.

This year officially popped off for me with Meek Mill's PRAY FOR 'EM.The lyrics were catchy and he put in just the right energy to create Max effect.It came at a time when the dust from the Dreezy beef was yet to fully settle and he did take a coupla good shots...'OGs see me comin thru & they say thats a baller,thats a N***@ started from the bottom really in that order.....Mac 11 hit u 20 times,have u Harlem shaking like u Diddy.Pop N**@s spittin melodies wen theres really nothing they can do with me'.Meek killed this murder one!!.My best rap joint for 20 16.
The 'Oga Boss'-Illbliss's NKU feat Flavour and Stormrex was a song I felt to the bone marrow as well.Illbliss is the 'Stunna' of Nigerian music.Nobody does that boss talk better...'Came up from nothing to national, they say my people irrational, they say we buying the same cars different colours but that is intentional...'.Stormrex was great on the hook and even if some may say he jacked MI' style, it won't change the fact that Illygati made magic.My best naija hip hop song of this year no doubt.
My best rap album this year wasn't 'Ye's LIFE OF PABLO and it sure wasn't Drake's VIEWS,it was Yo Gotti's THE ART OF HUSTLE.A great piece of work.Gotti has a style that might not really work on everything but he did play to his strengths without any attempt at getting overly versatile.BIBLE feat Lil Wayne was dope.So was GENERAL with Future and LAW feat the legendary E-40.BANK TELLER is my pick of the bunch..Crazy hook.
While I agree EMPIRE is one of the best things to happen to TV in recent times, I don't quite think the quality of music is top notch.Too many sub-standard songs for a music themed series.However, it did spawn one of the best love songs I ever heard-BORN TO LOVE YOU by Jussie Smollett (Jamal).He put his chords to awesome use and made me want to fall in love right away.Lol.Great stuff.My best slow song for this year.
Slay's DISHANKU feat Pepenazi rocked hard.Pepenazi dropped one of the tightest verses I heard in '16..'I come up wit an attitude like We We the boys dem,if they try to piss me off then We We the boys then....U and ur crew smoke kiss,e no mean say u go blow(look)'..Pepe sneh was on some carpenter shee... nailed the hook and the bridge as well...'I don't give a...'.He dropped HIGH GO just a few days ago and I've had it on repeat ever since.Pepenazi sings just as well as he raps...'Some say na high grade,sugbon no do LaLa for highway...'
This year has to be the best so far in the life of Desiigner.PANDA set the world on fire and the follow up hit was so tight, it rocked better than PANDA for me (most people find it hard to believe).He  called it TIMMY TURNER.It was the Desiigner english at its hardest but thank God for Google,Lyrics are easy to come by these days.Kanye West dropped a verse on the remix and thankfully, it fell on his 'on' day.Really nice verse.

Joe Budden made what in my opinion is the best diss track since Nas' ETHER.He called it WAKE and went for Drake's jugular in typical beast style...'Am callin Stunna,all Summer 16 ain't heard a hot 16 bout all Summer'.Epic Shii.No one expected Drake to reply in similar fashion coz Joe outweighs him lyrically.In other words,he ain't Meek.Lool.Like he said 'killing Dreezy is expected of him and he doesn't weigh it an achievement'.Definitely one for the archives.
A rejuvenated Pryse dropped 2 really good songs after leaving Choc city.QUEEN KONG with Eva was insane and I still can't get enough of that Eva verse. U NAME IT Feat Koker and Big H is archive material. That feeling when she goes 'Beans,Greens,potatoes, tomatoes, lamb,rams,chickens,turkey' is PRYSEless. Whats more?.Chic says shiz good in the kitchen, the boardroom and the other room.Lol
Still on Pet beasts,Mzz Kiss made a remix to Ycee's JAGABAN alongside Tipsy and it was so tight it made me want to propose to her...'You know Warih do'.Lool.
Lil Durk had two dope songs out I really loved. FOR FREE was one of my best turn up songs of 2016 and then RIDER CHICK with his boo(ex?),Dej loaf who is rumoured to be a dyke or bisexual at best.RIDER CHICK sounded like a gangsta version of Jay and Beyonce's BONNIE & CLYDE.It made me wonder why no rapper has made a Cookie Lyon song till date as she is without a doubt the best boss chic TV has seen in recent times; a G-Boo extraordinaire.I had never heard of Dizzy Wright before the 702 album and I was blown after just a coupla listens.Had not only a sick delivery but the lyrics to wow you as well.Kinda reminds how present day hip hop seems to have transcended dope punchlines, word plays and metaphors.Intrigue packed lines on a good beat and a great mode of expression will suffice.
Guy is one of those artistes you keep wishing would get the respek they deserve in record time.DOIN SOMETHING was my pick of an awesome work of art.
I loved Cynthia Morgan's OLOWO a whole bunch.Tjan's ADUKE was my best Nigerian slow song of the year.I easily forget my age is in the suit and tie numbers when I listen to Yung6ix on D'Tunes THAT THING.Its a banger!!..'She dey look fine boy,I dey look bad thing!!!!'.Lool.
And talking about bangers, the loudest I heard was SKIIBII's SKIIBII.It kicks in the adrenaline better than a Messi would.Made me wanna throw a one man house party a coupla times.
First time I heard Money Man was when he released OUT THE MUD feat Young Thug and not until I listened to Akon & Crew's KONVICT KARTEL album did I know he was signed to Akon's Konvict records.He made one of the best songs on that album in BOSS UP.And talking about that album, OG Boo Dirty's LIL BISH was crack.Great song.
DJ Drama dropped QSM2 (Quality Street Music 2) and it had some really tight songs on it.BODY FOR MY ZIPCODE was fabulous. It had Young Life, Freddie Gibbs and Dave East dropping lava on wax.Had to be one of the best features this year where all guests delivered on the same level-1 huned.
And talking about Dave East, I have always thought him to be the best hope of resurrection for the 'Hip Hop is dead' theorists.He is as real as it gets and probably the most likely to appeal to the purists than any other new school cat.Blends don't come any more perfect, the New York in East flosses like a true baller.To put it succinctly, there is nothing like East out there.He dropped 3 of the best songs I heard all year.He did an East mix to Corry Finesse's buzzing hit-VAGABOND and it was Vintage East..Trap baller.Then there was STOVE TOP off Def Jam's DIRECT DEPOSIT Vol.1...'Caught a cramp on my wrist from all the whipping'.Dope stuff..literally you could say. Lool.
DEPOSITS was ill.It was a real rapper staying unapologetically true to the game and literally shutting up anyone saying 'Hip Hop is dead'.Well,maybe it was but Dave East resurrected it...'You be hanging with scholars,I'm with jack boys and 'em gualas,pullin up in impalas.Diss me i ain't responding.N@#$ living on Instagram can't pay rent with 'em comments, i'm midtown with some lawyers trying to add a coupl more commas'.I toasted to Hip Hop when I first heard this,I ain't pouring nothing no where coz its still here.Dave East...Respek to a real one.
Cassidy's TAKE YOU DOWN feat Jeremiah was a really nice song and it reminded me of GET NO BETTER off his SPLIT PERSONALITY album which is one of my fav love joints of all time.
CDQ dropped the album-QUALITY and it had some great stuff on it.Woss is streets in streets out and everyone expected a strictly street content.SALARO,FERRARI and GBEMISAYA feat Skales were my best songs.
Glad to see Ace hood ditch the singing on STARVATION 5.Hoped he would after last year's mixtape and album.It was that appealing mean delivery all through.BEAST OF THE SOUTH was 'that black boy from the south' in full throttle. Beastly shii.
YFN Lucci had a remix to KEYS TO THE STREET feat 2chainz,Lil Wayne and Quavo...The 2chainz flow was on steroids and the tunechi verse was my favourite this year.Tune released a joint album with 2chainz called COLLEGROVE and whether or not it was going to be dope,I just knew there was that one song I was going to love senseless and it turned out to be SECTION.2chainz blew me to bits with that verse..one of my best this year.Tune wasn't at his best but 2chainz more than made up for that.
He was on Timbaland's album as well with THIS ME,F IT!!.The swag is branded,only 2chainz can do 2chainz.Beliiy Dat.
Phyno dropped THE PLAYMAKER album and it more than lived up to expectations.ABULO is the best naija trap joint ever made and OBIAGU was a really nice warrior song.NNO MA and YES I PRAY were really great songs and then you had the hits we had already known-FADA FADA, one of the best songs made this year, E SURE FOR ME  and PINO PINO.
Sojay's CHINENYE was a great song, had me feeling thankful all through.Na God.Ice Prince dropped JOS2THEWORLD and it didn't quite live up to expectations.He understood he needed to rap more and when he did,it just wasn't Ice Prince. Someone actually did start a BringBackIceprince movement months before the album dropped. WANT IT ALL  was a really good song and I would attribute that more to Krept and Konan (whom he featured) than anything else.BOSS feat Tekno I had already heard as a single and its really tight.It was Pop Prince popping shii up.Still think this song deserved to be way bigger than it is.
Reminisce dropped the latest installment to his cypher sessions-FEEGO feat Seriki,Ola Dips & Ice Prince. Ice did look like he was getting back to his rapping best here and it gave me a hard-on for his album.FEEGO was dope...cartel dope.
KOKER's KO LE WERK drove me nuts.It became obvious Davido pulled a coup by signing Dremo when he dropped OJERE.Has a very distinctive style that reminds you of 2chainz-dope witty lines.Cracked up bad when I heard him say even the ones wey dey cover book for class don dey famz now,Ojere!!.
Cynthia Morgan's OLOWO is one that will not be forgotten in a hurry and Tekno's PANA is up there with the very best made this year.
Young Thug had a very busy year spawning records and features at an alarming rate.BREAD WINNER was the 1st  Thugga song on my playlist and then F CANCER (Shoutout to Boosieeee!!.Lol) all on the same mixtape.Asides the title,one other thing about the NO,MY NAME IS JEFFREY mixtape was that he made songs named after stars he loved.There was RIHANNA,there was SWIZZ BEATZ and others.POP MAN feat Wyclef Jean isn't just my personal favourite,it was one of the very best I heard and up there with the most creative as well...'Wamp Wamp,Wet Wet!!!'.Lool.
Vybz Cartel's COULDN'T was top notch and Maino's HEARD YOU was ill...'F my old B like am new N'.Lool.He was made Brooklyn Ambassador of rap coupla weeks ago and it was giving honour to whom its due.
Its a miracle how E-40 does what he does.For a man in his 50s,the Legend sure doesn't show any signs of slowing down.He featured AD on ONE and it was great.
Travis Scott had everyone buzzing this year and his biggest hit was PICK UP THE PHONE feat Young Thug and Quavo.Tight stuff.Wale switched up a bit on his version of PULL UP HOP OUT and it was seamless.'i can go anywhere and i can go with 10 hoes & 'em 10 hoes could be cousins'.One of the craziest lines I heard all year.Lool.Early in the year,he made BRYCE HARPER (MVP) and it was Wale at his best.Guy is a beast..'Don't pitch no birds but off them words out that 3rd,am Escobar'.He showed you what a good delivery could do to a song on the remix to Lil Kesh's CAUSE TROUBLE.Adapted pretty nice.He killed the verse on Reminisce's ASSALAMA ALLIEKUM remix as well.
Cobhams is starting to produce some really funny tracks and I think THE OTHER ROOM feat Ugovinna is the funniest yet.It came after the President said his wife belonged in 'the other room'.The song had the potential to be funnier than it was if Ugovinna had worked a lil extra hard on the lyrics.But it was really great.
Pusha T made one helluva copacetic song in CIRCLES feat Ty Dolla $ and Desiigner.Sometimes its really not just about getting the hottest artistes on a track,its about making their talents all come together to create the best possible sound.King Push did just that on CIRCLES. Ty with his unique voice and Desiigner speaking Desiigner. Lool.
B.O.B made the best socially conscious song I heard since his MISSING and it was called VULTURES. It was 'Bobby Ray' spitting just what he felt about the system and being one who has seen the ills of hypocritical leadership up close by virtue of being African,i could very much relate to it.Its my joint best rap song along with Meek's PRAY FOR 'EM.He also made the craziest Christmas carol I ever heard alongside No Genre and Jaque Beatz-a gun-weilding Santa copping bricks and making that MF snow.
G-Eazy's VENGEANCE ON MY MIND was a really inspirational one.I loved it a whole lot.Meek Mill dropped ALL I WANNA DO feat Chris Brown and Breezy was at his hook-killing best.That Breezy I love so much.
Word is Omeeka have split for real this time and that Nicki is currently involved with Fetty Wap.Well I guess time will confirm or disprove that like it did after rumours of her dating Meek surfaced.Fetty and Nicki made what might just turn out to be the last bonafide hit of 2016 in LIKE A STAR.Fabulous piece of work.Nicki did justice to her verse and Fetty was awesome with the sing along hook.Fetty Wap was featured by Block Boys on ALERT and rapping 'Zoovier' helped made better and already dope track.
Eric Manny's Runtown dropped a classic love song called MAD OVER YOU and it was a sweet victory for all those fans that saw something in him they had never seen in anyone from the very beginning.Song is tearing up charts everywhere as at the time of writing this.Eric Manny,owned by the billionaire mogul,Dili also signed Emeka this year and his IN MY ZONE is one of the best rap songs I heard all year.Watch out for Emeka,dude's got insane talent.Airtight song.
Well just about everyone loved The Chainsmokers' CLOSER. Words can't possibly express how I feel about this song.Classic is my best attempt.
COMING HOME by Trey Songz was an ecstatic lover heading home for Xmas and I loved it to bits.
Johnny Drille's Headies-nominated WAIT FOR ME was one of the best songs made out of this country in the last decade or more.It was released in 2015 but I only got to hear it this year and I have being fiending since.2T Boys' CUSTOMER DADA NI was Headies-nominated as well and it dazzled me beyond words..Great concept.
Wiz Khalifa was one of the artistes that made my year tick.He kept it slow and soft on NO FIGHTING and I was mesmerized to no end.He was on Snoop's KUSH UPS and he made a really great hook...'Roll a whole book up..I'm in the crib doing Kush ups!!'.He kept up the A-game shii on Currensy's SPEED BOAT.Dope stuff.

Currensy made magic on TOLD ME THAT feat Starlito as well.Hard for a year to roll by without getting at least a Kid Ink song to drive me nuts and this year it was LAMBORGHINI DREAMING feat Verse Simmonds.

There you have it,my best songs for the year 2016.A really long walk I must say but thanks for sticking by.

LETTER TO FEMI ADESINA: THE PRESIDENT OWES US A DUTY TO SPEAK

I'm sorry Mr Adesina but the President needs to speak on the Southern Kaduna killings. He needs to pacify and reassure the oppressed people of that region of the government's commitment to putting a halt to the dastardly activities of the Fulani herdsmen.He needs to intimate them on the urgent steps being taken towards apprehending the culprits and lastly,he needs to sympathize with them.You left out that part. Even if Gov. El-Rufai is 'on everything else' (to borrow your words), he can't be on that.The need to show compassion at a most dire time hovers over your Principal more as a matter of duty than anything else.

Presidents of more Federal nations even in those where the states have their own police forces to protect the people, have gone out of their way to not only commiserate with the families and victims of a tragedy but to also visit them.Did the President not know we were a Federal state when he symphatized with the victims of the Kano and Kebbi market fires?.Those were incidents where no souls were lost and yet he keeps mute when hundreds of innocent people including women and babies are being slaughtered.

The President chose to have 6 media aides at a time when the nation is facing its worst recession ever and it saddens to see you and your colleagues neglect to play your roles as you should.If you were doing your job well,you would enlighten the President on the sensitivity of this matter and the tendency of appearing sectarian.

He has already being accused of being impartial with his appointments and many still say if his fellow muslims weren't being killed by boko haram as well,they doubt if there would be this much commitment towards shutting down the insurgency.The herdsmen have so far not  being attacking Muslims.

If you meant the President well,you wouldn't hurt his image with those comments but would let him know how the poor handling of the herdsmen crisis allowed it escalate and as such,he owes it to the victims and the country at large to show compassion. 

The Enugu massacre of over 500 people by Fulani herdsmen looks to have being incited by the unprofessional disclosure by the DSS that 5 bodies found buried at the Abia forest were those of fulanis.

Even a lay man like myself,knows that in the secret police terrain, some information are best kept secret in the best interests of the nation. Buhari it was who recalled the present DSS boss from retirement.

The President's belated reaction to the killing of over 500 people and razing of about 10 villages in Agatu,Benue state came a week later,depicting him as a highly inconsiderate leader and neither the panel he set up to investigate the crisis nor its findings were made public.

I hope at this point,you can understand just how ridiculous I found your attempt at rationalizing the President's silence.

A seasoned media man like you expectedly understands he has just helped the general public form an irredeemably conclusive opinion on the President vis-à-vis the killings of the herdsmen.The President for some reason, is lukewarm towards the horrendous activities of the Fulani herdsmen.

I really fear for my nation with people like you around the President and I sincerely hope we would still have a nation by 2019.It was sad to watch you tell innocent nigerians complaining over poor power supply to go and fight the militants in a previous interview on Channels Tv.You did not bother to take into consideration the fact that your principal's promise of treating those who voted en masse for him ahead of those who didn't could very well be deemed an inciting factor in the Niger-Delta militancy.Such comments regrettably justify the fights for 'freedom' and no one who is true to himself would say those words were uttered in the best interest of Nigeria.

I still tell people that in better places, the process of ridding us of him would be kick started from that moment as he had publicly violated the sacred right to freedom of association of some of his countrymen as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nigerians expect their President to respond promptly when they are attacked by allaying their fears and sympathizing with them.This they expect at all times.

Positions like yours are quite sensitive as you have the power to mitigate or worsen any damage occasioned by the acts of your principal whom I must say is a PR time bomb and so far, all you seem to be doing is widening the scope of that bomb.Please have the interests of Nigeria and its people at heart in the discharge of your duties.

2016 HEADIES: THE Ouuhs,Aaahs and Naaahs

Someone captured the 2016 Headies in these few words:"This may very well be the funeral".When Wizkid strolled in and attempted to hug Eva's fiancé before hugging her instead and leaving the poor dude hanging, you couldn't help helping the organizers bemoan the abject lack of A-list calibre guests.There couldn't be a better illustration than Eva on the front row .The many empty seats were an eyesore and echoes in the hall got startling at times.But for what its worth,the organizers can console themselves with the fact that there just has to be a record of some sorts for the number of absent winners this edition spawned.Definitely haven't seen this many in my over 30 living years.
Those watching Ayo's Headies at home on Ayo's HipTv have him to thank for making them understand their DSTV remotes better.It felt like a sound engineering course sometimes as audio and picture quality was so poor,you spent half the time adjusting and re-adjusting.That being said, lets skip to the awards itself.

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

EMERGENCY-D'banj

LOVE DON'T CARE-Simi

PRAY FOR ME-Darey feat Soweto Choir Group

ORENTE-Adekunle Gold

SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-Brymo

Dbanj's EMERGENCY had no business being on this list and when I first saw it,I thought he was going to clinch it because the arrangement that got him there might include him winning it.But it turns out that wasn't the case.
There are a thousand other songs that deserved to be here in its place and if the Headies felt it ought to show him some love then it should have just handed him the Special Recognition award.I consider Darey's PRAY FOR ME a really great song but I think either of Adekunle Gold's ORENTE or Simi's LOVE DON'T CARE should have gotten this.Adekunle was able to put together sheer magic over talking drums and guitar strings.Ironically,the song was produced by the same guy who produced the winning song-Oscar and mixed by Simi.Oscar deserves a best producer nomination for this song and he might just have won that category if he had this to complement Darey's PRAY FOR ME which he was nominated for.
Simi is a breath of fresh air and she is in tune with the basics; having a peculiar quality in a saturated industry won't really count much unless it is being put to effective use. She did just that on LOVE DON'T CARE.The story telling in that voice was awesome.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

DJ COUBLON-GOOD TIME AND RABA RABA BY KISS DANIEL AND DJ SHABSY

PHEELS-PICK UP AND LAGOS BOYS BY OLAMIDE

OSCAR HERMAN ACKAH-PRAY FOR ME BY DAREY FEAT THE SOWETO CHOIR GROUP

MASTERKRAFT-FADA FADA AND CONNECT BY PHYNO

YOUNG JOHN-MAMA BY KISS DANIEL

LEGENGURY BEATS-BABA NLA (FINAL) BY WIZKID

I still don't understand why Masterkraft didn't win this.His songs with Phyno are the hugest of the pack and its hard to believe the voting public picked MAMA ahead of them.Category specification says individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review. MAMA can't come no where near CONNECT and FADA FADA.

BEST R&B/POP ALBUM

NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL

WANTED-WANDE COAL

SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY

NAK3D-DAREY

KLITORIS-BRYMO

The popular opinion is that Ayo and his goons set out to compensate KISS DANIEL for last year's snub.But there is a price to pay for doing that-quality is compromised.Wande Coal made an album full of good songs with no outstanding one to stand out from the bunch while Brymo seemed to have shed some of his invincibility on KLITORIS.Darey didn't quite meet up to his standards but Sheyi Shay made a quite amazing album.She had you in heart all through; whatever she tried,she wanted it to sound good to you.SHEYI OR SHAY was light years ahead of others in quality.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

MARY (SHEYI SHAY)-MEJI ALABI

EMERGENCY (D'BANJ)-UNLIMITED LA

SOLDIER-(FALZ THA BAD GUY)-CLARENCE PETERS

BAD-(TIWA SAVAGE FEAT WIZKID)-SESAN

MADE FOR YOU-(BANKY W)-BANKY W

Quite frankly, I don't think these were the best videos out in the year under review.These same guys (with maybe the exception of Banky W) made videos much better than the ones they were nominated for.Unlimited LA seemed to want to eat his cake and have it on Dbanj's EMERGENCY.-'throwing back' to the Fela era and still wanting to stay in present day.
Banky's MADE FOR YOU was a love story that had been told countless times with practically nothing to set it apart from the others.No extraordinary scenes or costumes,it was just plain and lacking a creative edge.He showed promise though and I sincerely hope he excels in video making.
SOLDIER certainly wasn't Clarence Peters's best work neither was it the best on the list.But it won.
I think Falz plans his videos and all he has to do is get a director to shoot them.SOLDIER was no different from JAMB QUESTION which was nominated last year but only that the latter was directed by Mex.The story was unreal and there was nothing to commend the video for other than the quality of the song.
Meji Alabi did a good job on Sheyi Shay's MARY though he could have done better.It was a dark video that tended to get too dark at times especially the scene where she was in a mask.The white fur coat was a really great touch and I wish I could say same for the black top she used.It erased the 'bossette' feel and if you walked in and saw her wearing that over a bowler hat in the last scene,she would pass for a mere 'waka pass'.
When you make choices, its harder to defend videos than songs.Songs leave you many 'outs'.You could cite sales or radio play in place of quality but not with videos because everyone sees whats on display.
Its really sad that Sesan had to watch a plaque he deserved, go for a second consecutive year and last year's was even closer than this.Thats what hurts the most.
He made one of the best Nigerian videos I have seen in recent times in Tiwa Savage's BAD feat Wizkid. It was just flawless.BAD was probably the only video worth being here and ordinarily, it would stroll hands in pocket all the way to this Headie.To be modest, Ayo and his crew need to start counting the votes well.

BEST RAP SINGLE

EYAN MAYWEATHER-OLAMIDE

ASALAMALEKUM-REMINISCE

JAGABAN-YCEE

CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI-ILLBLISS

AGU JI NDI MEN-AQ

SHOW YOU SOMETHING-BOOGEY

The Headies can safely fall back on the 'voting clause' as far as this category is concerned.Baddo is the most loved rapper in Nigeria and a lot of people would vote him even if no song was attached to his name.But I laugh in spanish if they expect us to believe our votes have been winning awards.
EYAN MAYWEATHER will rank last if these songs were to be judged on merit.JAGABAN deserved this Headie more than any of the songs.It swept across the nation in some style and birthed the start of an elaborate ascent to the zenith of naija rap.

BEST POP SINGLE

MAMA-KISS DANIEL

FINAL(BABA NLA)-WIZKID

PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD

OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH FEAT DAVIDO

REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT OREZI,IYANYA,OLAMIDE & KCEE

EMERGENCY-D'BANJ

FADA FADA-PHYNO

MONEY-TIMAYA FEAT FLAVOUR

This had to be the tightest category of the night.REGGAE BLUES was a worthy winner but I'm sure no one would have bated an eyelid if it went to FADA FADA or OSINACHI.

BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SONG

NO KISSING-PATORANKING FEAT SARKODIE

BODY HOT-PRAIZ FEAT JESSE JAGZ AND STONEBWOY

JAGA LOVE-JESSE JAGZ

OLOWO-CYNTHIA MORGAN

PAM PAM-KETCH UP

I LIKE THE WAY-TIMAYA

Patoranking's NO KISSING was a really good song.Just that it isn't as good as Cynthia Morgan's OLOWO.Song is fire!!!.It infects you when it comes on and makes you want to dance in any hall.."Ask about me for igboro"!!.
Whether or not Praiz's BODY HOT is reggae/dancehall is debatable but what is not in doubt is the fact that it was a really good song.One I would rather hand the Headie to.

BEST R&B SINGLE

LOVE DON'T CARE-SIMI

MADE FOR YOU-BANKY W

SMILE-SHAYDEE

SUPER WOMAN-WANDE COAL

PRAY FOR ME-DAREY FEAT THE SOWETO CHOIR GROUP

ADUKE-TJAN

Darey's PRAY For Me is a great piece of work,but sometimes I just can't help thinking its getting more props than it deserves.This is a voting category and I sincerely doubt if Darey's song was huge enough to be voted over these songs and even if anyone leans on the fact that a lot of people only listened to some of the songs when the nomination list was released, I don't think anyone who did that would vote it ahead of Tjan's ADUKE.It was a fabulous song that had all the essential ingredients of R & B in it.After all the lectures on what or not songs of a particular genre should sound like, it all boils down to one thing-whether or not it sounds good to its listeners. ADUKE is a classic.

BEST COLLABO

REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT IYANYA, OREZI,OLAMIDE,KCEE

OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH FEAT DAVIDO

WAIT-SOLIDSTAR FEAT TIWA SAVAGE

NO KISSING-PATORANKING FEAT SARKODIE

MONEY-TIMAYA FEAT FLAVOUR

SOLDIER-FALZ FEAT SIMI

I really think REGGAE BLUES deserved to get its second plaque of the night in this category. One thing this song alongside Humblesmith's OSINACHI had going for them was the fact that they were nationwide hits. They were more popular than SOLDIER which was more or less, a 'Lagos' hit.Either one of these two should have gotten the Headie ahead of Falz's SOLDIER.

NEXT RATED

*TEKNO

YCEE

MR EAZI

HUMBLESMITH

ARAMIDE

Tekno criticized his choice as a nominee and that necessitated a public clarification by the organizers. In response to the statement that he was a vet, the Headies told us it didn't matter how long you had been in the game as long as you hadn't released an album yet.He boycotted all pre-award activities required of nominees and it earned him a ban just days to the event.
Tekno was the clear favourite and his omission threw it open .This category had been the most controversial over the years and this edition wasn't bereft of it.
Mr Eazi is a great artiste with a unique sound but i'm baffled to no end as to how he beat Ycee.Its simply impossible to justify that.
Ycee made a monster hit in JAGABAN and followed it up with OMO ALHAJI which was stellar stuff as well.He made more hits, had more collabos and notched up endorsements (doubt if Eazi even has one).He was the favourite rapper's favourite rapper to use that all too familiar cliché when Baddo named him his number one rapper.
A lot of people rate Humblesmith higher than they do Mr Eazi and you wouldn't blame them for that.Mr Eazi is a breath of fresh no doubt-distinctive style that blew everyone but more than a year in (at least officially), BANKULIZE still remains the closest thing he has to a hit. Humblesmith's original and remix versions of OSINACHI were all hits.That is just by the way anyways.
Mr Eazi over Ycee?. Naaah.

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)

SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-BRYMO

SMILE-SHAYDEE

PRAY FOR ME-DAREY FEAT SOWETO CHOIR GROUP

GENTLEMAN-RIC HASSANI

SUPER WOMAN-WANDE COAL

Shaydee was the best choice.He put those chords to phenomenal use on SMILE and I'm really glad he won.I really feel sorry for Wande Coal though,he did put in some great work on SUPER WOMAN.

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

LOVE DON'T CARE-SIMI

PLAY NA PLAY-OMAWUNMI FEAT ANGELIQUE KIDJO

RIGHT NOW-SHEYI SHAY

LOVE ME-ARAMIDE FEAT ADEKUNLE GOLD

The organizers got it right in this category as well (vocal performance is non-voting).In as much as I think Sheyi Shay's RIGHT NOW is the best song listed, i most certainly agree that SIMI displayed the best vocal prowess on her LOVE DON'T CARE.

BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE

WHO U EPP-OLAMIDE

BAD GANG-AJEBUTTER FEAT FALZ

JAGABAN-YCEE

GBERA-SMALL DOCTOR

KO LE WERK-KOKER

CUSTOMER DADA NI-2T BOYS FEAT SERIKI AND SMALL DOCTOR

This was always going to go one way-Baddo's.He blew up the slang and had everyone using it after he dropped the song.If we had a Nigerian dictionary, I'm sure WHO U EPP would have been the last word added to it and maybe the first to be added in the last 10 years.
But on the real,I don't think the quality of the song measures up to that of KO LE WERK or CUSTOMER DADA NI in the street hop context. Great slangs but they were also great songs.The fact that every rapper wanted to jump on WHO U EPP after Baddo's crew and close associates did, helped blow a decent  effort out of proportion.
Olamide was never one to worry about strategy,it was just music and more music all year long.The one time he got strategic, it paid off handsomely.After his gang did their versions, everyone hopped on it.WHO U EPP was the most remixed song of the year no doubt.
If it were up to me,I would hand this award to 2T Boys.CUSTOMER DADA NI had the craziest concept I heard in a really long while and Its the most creative song on the list.Koker did his thing in grand style on KO LE WERK and I feel as sorry for Ycee as I did for Kiss Daniel last year.Hard to think JAGABAN didn't get at least a plaque for all its quality.

BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG

GENTLEMAN-RIC HASSANI

SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-BRYMO

WAIT FOR ME-JOHNNY DRILLE

PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD

YOU SUPPOSE KNOW-BEZ

A lot of observers and critics usually get lost in their own little world before every award show.Everyone shuts out how much buzz the songs generated, the calibre of artistes that made them and just focuses on how good the songs truly are.In my own little world, it was a walk over for Johnny Drille's WAIT FOR ME.Song is just so out of here...sumn like an Audemar telling Mars time.He should be bronzed for it.WAIT FOR ME in a few words is-International quality.
I would place Adekunle Gold's PICK UP second and though the instrumental to Brymo's SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING was top notch, he opens by telling you "everyone is hustling and trying to be boss but if you listen hard you will hear the sounds of victory". Highly contradictory. You hear those sounds when you are boss or at least aren't 'trying' to become one.After all said and done,I don't think Bez deserved it.

BEST RAP ALBUM

EYAN MAYWEATHER-OLAMIDE

POWERFUL-ILLBLISS

STORIES THAT TOUCH-FALZ

YAGI-LIL KESH

One of the non-voting categories where the organizers shocked you again by getting it right.Though it was obvious Illbliss made the best rap album of the pack, there was no ruling out a gift to Falz who was co-host and current rave.Illygaty tha Oga Boss aka Abrahamovich put together a splendid album in POWERFUL and I'm really glad he is getting the respect he deserves.Illbliss is quite frankly one of the very few cats the rap game owes some dues.

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI-ILLBLISS

ASALAMALEKUM-REMINISCE

JAGABAN-YCEE

SHOW YOU SOMETHING-BOOGEY

AGU JI NDI MEN-AQ

NO MATTER WHAT-MODENINE

Here, we allowed the Headies choose and they failed us.The only good thing about Lyricist on the roll in 2016 was that Mode9 didn't win it like a lot of us expected and since some other yardstick besides friendship was used (presumably quality) then its worth a good look.Illbliss's CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI lyrically had nothing on all the other songs on the list.Pound for Pound,it was the whipping boy.AQ's delivery isn't always top notch but AGU JI NDI MEN was one of those times he got it right.His usually tight lyrics were framed perfectly.Reminisce is second only to my winner-Boogey's SHOW YOU SOMETHING.Boogey flew us first class back to the '90s with not a single element missing.He held you spell-bound and pulled you into the story he was telling.Real timeless stuff.
To Mode9 and all the other purists out there-Hip Hop ain't dead...*scratches*, this is how it should be done!!.

HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION

GHETTO UNIVERSITY-RUNTOWN

YAGI-LIL KESH

SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY

NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL

There is no way in the world NEW ERA is a better album than SHEYI OR SHAY and if anyone tells me people voted it, I will instantly demand proof because Lil Kesh is the most loved and popular of the nominees.He would clinch it on that basis while those who listened to all the albums would pick Miss Shay.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

STORIES THAT TOUCH-FALZ

NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL

WANTED-WANDE COAL

SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY

There are all good albums and somewhere deep within me,I think Falz would have gotten this if votes truly counted for the simple reason that he is the current industry darling.No one who has listened to all these albums would give this to Kiss.
NEW ERA had a wider gulf between the good songs and the not-too-good-ones and whats more?.We already heard its 2 best songs about a year before it was released.

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

OLAMIDE

YEMI ALADE

FALZ

WIZKID

TIWA SAVAGE

It was 60-40 Falz even with Wiz's SHABBA featuring Chris Brown,Trey Songz and French Montana in the equation till you remember Wiz was on Drake's ONE DANCE and then a blow-past.Falz on Wiz's rearview. Congrats Starboy,our most viable music export.

SONG OF THE YEAR

FINAL(BABA NLA)-WIZKID

PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD

OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH

REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT OREZI, IYANYA, OLAMIDE & KCEE

FADA FADA-PHYNO

Any one of OSINACHI, FADA FADA, or REGGAE BLUES deserved to walk away with this and in the end Phyno's FADA FADA was the lucky recipient.FADA FADA cemented Phyno's status as unarguably the most versatile Nigerian artiste of all time.He became pop and hiphop royalty at the same time.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

FLAVOUR

No disrespect to Flavour but I think he has a few more notches to clear.There are more deserving recipients than I can count-OJB Jezreel (post-humously),Dbanj,Clarence Peters,P-Square to mention a few.
They really need to put their house in order.

This Year's Headies has had a lot of fans wondering if it is the beginning of the end.Its been sad to watch its credibility wane over the years and though no 'official' gossip has been leaked as to why it was boycotted by almost all the stars,it may just be because they are as aggrieved as the fans.Perhaps they came together and decided to stay away.Its just too much to be a coincidence.
The biggest music industry in Africa deserves a much better spectacle to call its biggest award show.

ON THE PROPRIETY OF THE AGF PROBING MAGU AND LAWAL

If the President sincerely thinks he is doing the right thing by asking the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN to probe allegations of corruption by 2 government officials, then we are in more trouble than we thought.The only plausible explanation to it if that is not the case,is that he is carving out an escape route for 'his people'.There is just no up side to this arrangement.The AGF cannot be expected to rely solely on evidence presented by the Senate because of the circumstances surrounding its somewhat frosty relationship with the Presidency and as such, he would have to go the extra mile to ascertain some of the allegations against the acting EFCC boss,Ibrahim Magu and the Secretary of the government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.If not for anything but for the fact that if any more compelling evidence surfaces,it will hurt the President a great deal.

The acting EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu is said to have accepted bribes severally even before he was elevated to his present status and that he is currently domiciled at a N20M per annum residence paid for for 2 years by a beneficiary of his dubious practices. For the AGF to do a good job,he might be required to not only study files,bank statements and phone records over a period of time but also to interview/interrogate a lot of people-from Magu's colleagues down to the subjects of previous investigations he handled.The AGF and those in his office are not equipped to perform these tasks for the simple reason that they weren't trained to do so.They are lawyers.

There is a need to be thorough, like I earlier stated, because of the implications that would accompany the emergence of more damaging evidence. The President has already been criticized for his nonchalance to allegations there had been sharp practices on the part of the SGF,Babachir Lawal when they first sprang up and many still feel he would sweep the matter under the rug at the slightest opportunity he gets.

Both sets of allegations are so sensitive, they touch on the integrity of President Buhari's administration. If the President can refuse to comply with numerous court orders granting the former NSA,Sambo Dasuki, bail for the sole reason that it is unfair for him to seek medical care abroad,while millions have been left orphaned and homeless by the abominable acts of he and his cohorts,then he should know that it is also not within the moral ambit for his SGF to steal from those people.It would be catastrophic for the AGF to come up short.

The case against Lawal is a very strong one.Asides,the contract sum being inflated (N270M to clear invasive weeds),the company was reportedly incorporated in 1990 to offer ICT services and the lawmakers claim as at the time,the contract was awarded in March 2016,he was still part of the company which is a clear contravention of the Code of Conduct for public officials as enshrined in the constitution. As at the time the committee submitted its report,he was still the sole signatory to the company's bank accounts.

If Lawal is let off the hook, this government would be no different from the last one that shielded its aviation minister, Stella Oduah and helped the then Petroleum Minister, Deziani Maduekwe escape from a National Assembly probe into how she was flying private with taxpayers money.

As things stand,Buhari's 'Zero tolerance for corruption' reputation is hanging by a thread.The former first lady has not been prosecuted or as much as questioned by the EFCC despite having her properties seized.Many still feel the seizure was a face-saving measure necessitated by her public attempt to bail out her cronies by laying claim to the monies found in their accounts. Her husband,the ex-President has not been questioned despite being linked to Dasukigate by at least 2 persons.That thread will give way if Magu and Lawal aren't dealt with accordingly.

The best interests of Nigeria would have been better served if the President had constituted a committee.Preferably one comprising of former and present servicemen along with the attorney-general.Former servicemen to ensure neutrality, present ones to accord the government investigative apparatus where required and the AGF to provide legal advice.The AGF would ordinarily be the most dispensable member of an ideal probe committee.

His primary duty as the nation's chief law officer is the prosecution or otherwise of criminal cases as is provided in Section 174 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and while some may say nothing precludes him from handling a probe when asked to,the need for a bodacious inquiry into a matter he is ill-equipped to handle outweighs any other consideration.

IF TINUBU WALKS, BUHARI WILL GO

The absence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and some APC South West governors from the November 12th rally held in support of the Party's candidate in the Ondo Guber elections, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu spells doom for  President Buhari's 2nd term chances.Its one thing to not have the party in his grip and another for him to watch it wither away.
While the President's policy of non-interference with party affairs was always going to portray him as a paragon of democratic principles to many, it also meant he was giving up a chance to control the party machinery and dictate its affairs.That move doesn't seem to be working in his favour presently as the average nigerian is too bothered with the hardship he is being put through to even notice his President respects others' space.The fact that Buhari will not enjoy as much support as he did when Nigerians were eager to kick out an under-performing government is not in question, what is, however, is whether he can get by with the little he can garner.I don't think so.
The President needs the Tinubu  Gang now more than ever.He needs them even much more than they need a 'sitting' President as far as the APC is concerned.While accepting that Tinubu was trying to shove his candidate in the Ondo guber primaries down the party's throat, it is also not in doubt that the party chairman, John Idigie Oyegun has not been running the party well.The party still has several vacant positions in the executive and no Board of Trustees to say the least about how poorly run the APC is.
The President should have sacrificed him while sticking to Akeredolu as the party's flag bearer to avoid making the mistake his predecessor made.Goodluck Jonathan stuck to Bamanga Tukur till it was very late and that proved his greatest undoing.
President Buhari's victory has been the least reliant on politicking since our return to democracy but as things stand, he may have to do so at an unprecedented rate if he hopes to win a 2nd term in office since he can't safely count on the people's uninfluenced discretion.Losing the support of the South West elite is already one foot outside.
He is going to split the northern votes with the northern candidate the PDP presents as well as Tinubu's candidate if he decides to set up another party or decamp to the AD as is the word in some quarters.Tinubu is already rumoured to be in bed with Atiku and that definitely won't augur well for Buhari.
With the President's 'Change' agenda having lost its invincibility, and also add the fact that he isn't a terrific politician in the strict sense (not being one to go out of his way to form strategic alliances or go the extra mile to keep existing ones), the Atikus of this world could very well deploy their GMGs (Ghana Must Go) to monstrous effect in the Party primaries.
While I cannot say about Atiku, it is not beyond Tinubu to replicate his 2011 stunt by supporting someone other than the President if he emerges the party's candidate.The 'Jagaban' himself confirmed he worked against his then party; the ACN in the 2011 presidential elections by supporting Jonathan ahead of Nuhu Ribadu; the party's candidate.The President must boost his chances by regaining Tinubu's support.
I did a personal projection of the 2019 election results (which the body language of the Presidency suggests PMB will partake in) based on the present state of affairs and I don't fancy his chances.
NORTH EAST-6 million of a possible 10 million votes

NORTH WEST-4 million of a possible 9 million votes

NORTH CENTRAL-1 million of a possible 5 million

SOUTH EAST-100 thousand of a possible 5 million votes

SOUTH SOUTH-400 thousand of a possible 5.5 million votes

SOUTH WEST-2 million of a possible 5 million votes

The only thing that could save the president is if a new party presents a candidate that would split the votes with the PDP and that is very unlikely considering the political shrewdness of Bola Tinubu (the man most likely to lead any formidable new party).He will form a beneficial alliance with the PDP and hand them the South West on a platter.
With the South East and South South safely in its kitty, the PDP will most probably get a decent share of the spoils down North especially in the Central part leaving the ruling party no choice but to revert back to its former opposition status.
The President's best chances of remaining in office come 2019 were hinged on the support of the South West especially the elites.Those chances have taken a beating.

BBOG FRANCHISE INFRINGEMENT:UNVEILING THE SINFUL MOTIVE BEHIND EZEKWESILI'S RIGHTEOUS ACT

When the Bring Back Our Girls campaign started after the kidnap of over 200 school girls over 2 years ago by the Boko haram sect, it afforded a lot of opportunists and attention seekers a medium to showcase their skills.The legitimacy of the cause meant there was only one side and one side only, so it was only a matter of who could perform best where the lights glitter.Anyone who wasn't taking photos with his placard was taking ones of him crying.
The founder of the BBOG campaign movement, Hajiya Bala Usman has since gone on to become the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority after spending time as the Chief Of Staff to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.Not a few people thought Obiageli Ezekwesili, a Former Minister and Vice-President of the World Bank was just waiting to be 'rewarded' by the Buhari government after its swearing-in.She had been the face and voice of the group and it wasn't out of place to think a man that trumped the pro-people card all the way to victory was going to surround himself with people like her.There couldn't possibly be any better promotional stuff than those pictures of her shedding tears. Ezekwesili's allegations of franchise infringement by African Support and Empowerment Initiative (AFRISEI), an NGO set up by a daughter of the President, Hajiya Hadiza Buhari Bello at an event meant to raise funds further underlines the sinful motive behind a most righteous act.
My people in the north say:" On the day you will have to take your bath, you cannot hide your belly button".Its all starting to come to the fore.That someone wants to raise money to help rehabilitate the Chibok girls means someone is stealing the shine off Ezekwesili and her people.That someone wants to ensure the girls return home to a better life for them and their parents means getting undue praise to the Ezekwesilis of this world.That is what is really illegal as far as they are concerned.
Franchise Infringement is merely a God-sent conduit to deploy their botheration against those they feel want to make heaven without dying.
Yes,the plight of the Chibok girls isn't top priority.If it was, Ezekwesili would commend Hadiza Buhari Bello and call for more efforts in helping the released school girls who have been subjected to unspeakable trauma over the last 2 years.Buhari's daughter would be getting a visit from the BBOG group and not threats of a letter from their lawyers.And as far as Franchise infringement goes, Somebody seems to have forgotten the phrase 'Bring Back Our Girls' was traced to a hashtag by a lawyer on Twitter.
It wasn't originally conceived by Hadiza Usman, Ezekwesili or any of the other persons parading themselves as leaders of the movement and he didn't as much as raise a voice to the use of it because he was supporting a good cause.It is preposterous for Ezekwesili and her gang to now claim ownership of the BBOG franchise just to frustrate a lady looking to help the Chibok girls in her own little way.
Its okay to soak up the good publicity and other attendant benefits of engaging in a good cause, nobody has a problem with that.But it becomes everybody's problem when you try to balk other efforts aimed at helping the objects of that cause. 

AISHA BUHARI:THE 'DESIGNER' FIRST LADY THAT FOOLED MY PEOPLE

I don't really care whether Aisha Buhari belongs to the President's kitchen, other room or even another man.That is their personal problem. What I am worried about is the fact that some Nigerians are celebrating her for wanting their most loyal friends in government.
If the first lady had criticized the President's friends for being inept ,then I wouldn't have bothered even if we decided to name a state after her but as things stand, I can't help hating those singing her praises and admiring her for other things.
I admire her for having the guts to say what she did without being scared of losing the first ladyship which could mean never being able to afford Salvatore Ferragamo Capes.The one she wore to the African Ladies' Summit in Brussels costs about $2600 (N1.157M) and that is just about N50,000 less than her husband's monthly salary.I respect the lady for paying little or no attention to the fact that she might never 'rock' a handbag like the one she used on her August trip to the US if Buhari divorces her.It was a Hermes Birkin bag and its worth over N10M.Then you also have the £10,000 Choppard diamond watch she wore while attending the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York alongside her husband and daughters just last month.She didn't seem to bother about that and It intrigues me to no end.
The first lady's new 'fans' should be asking how she was able to afford all these and whether or not we have suddenly started running a government of friends for friends, something the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti would refer to as 'Paddy Paddy Government'?.Is a cabinet reshuffle or an inner circle shake-up the only condition attached to her support for Buhari come 2019?.Does she think any of the women who have seen her in those accessories would be dumb enough to allow themselves be swayed by whatever she thinks or says even if she decides to campaign for her husband in 2019?.
You just have to give it up for how she was able to pull it off.To look a people in the eye, sell such a disgustingly self-serving interest to them and still have them applaud her for it is sheer genius.
But not all of us are fools.A lot of us would rather the President surrounds himself with capable hands than true friends in these trying times.Rewarding the people who voted him in by steering us out of this mess and delivering on his electoral promises far outweigh the merits of any friendship.The President had once defended his lopsided appointments by erroneously pointing out that he was covered by the constitution and more notably, that he needed to reward friends who had 'suffered' with him all the way to the Presidency.
I remember saying at that time that we were in trouble.We not only had a President who didn't understand a provision as explicit as that of Federal character in our constitution, we had a man clearly placing loyalty above competence.You need not look far to find out how he aggravated an already bad situation.
For what it is worth, the Buharis are cut from the same cloth and either way, their philosophy on governance is not what we need.I hope everyone realizes that.

IN GOD'S COURT, BUHARI WILL NOT BE PARTIALLY DEAF

There are people very skilled in the art of escaping the truth and the only time they don't deploy those skills are when the truth favours them.The most privileged of the lot are the partially deaf.Their condition avails them the special luxury of selecting what they want to hear even though they heard all there is to hear and it is almost impossible to prove otherwise.
Our President flew overseas to treat an ear infection earlier in the year (the nature of which was never disclosed), so needless to say that his 'truth dodging' skills are as legit as they come.Buhari listens with the good ear when people agree with him that the arms deal scam perpetrated by Dasuki was most abominable and anything being said about the unlawfulness of Dasuki's continued detention after being granted bail falls on the bad ear.
Its been almost 2 weeks since the ECOWAS court sitting in Abuja ordered his immediate release and awarded N15M as damages but all that has fallen on the President's bad ear.The damning consequences of this judgement worry me more than the amount awarded.We are demonstrating to the world just how low we have degenerated to by flaunting our disregard for the most basic democratic tenet; the rule of law.Anyone with the best interest of this nation at heart isn't any different from him at the moment.They are hoping God takes control.When our leaders turn oppressors and stop our laws from applying to some, the victims can only hope for their day in God's court.On that day, Buhari will not be partially deaf for God knows all that is in the heart of men.
The EFCC still hasn't answered the  critical questions bordering round its modus operandi.Patience Jonathan and Ayo Fayose have all claimed that the provisions of Section 34 of the EFCC Act which states that the EFCC must obtain a judge's order before freezing their bank accounts were not adhered to.Sen.Musiliu Obanikoro is also claiming that no search warrant was presented before his house was searched and documents carted away in the raid on his Lagos home.Neither the EFCC, the President or his agents have debunked these claims with proof.Laws exist to regulate human conduct.No authority no matter how highly placed has the right to just barge into your house and begin to search your belongings or walk into any bank and order that your account be frozen.The law puts checks in place to safeguard the rights of all citizens.But where these laws are a luxury not afforded some and where orders of courts are obeyed only when they fall on the right ear of the man in charge, then what we have is a dictatorship.When our laws are subjected to discretionary obedience and the judicial system is rendered powerless, there is a place where nothing is hidden and no one will bully the weak.That place is called God's court.
After an alleged attack on the Chief of Army staff by members of the Shi'ite islamic sect in the Northern city of Zaria in Kaduna state, the army embarked on a killing spree of its members leaving 347 dead (official number).The leader, Sheik Elzakzaky appeared critically wounded in photos of his arrest and is still being held in captivity as we speak.Some state governments have recently banned the sect and in what seemed an orchestrated attack in about 4 northern cities, its members were descended upon while performing their annual shura procession.The attacks extended to their homes after the procession had ended and it was sad to see innocent men and women butchered right in their houses.A lot of shi'ite members have been protesting before the procession and what have they been protesting against?.The reluctance to release or prosecute its leader.They were mostly on the streets in their ceremonial outfit to protest an injustice done to them.
The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani while speaking with Buhari after the Zaria killings, urged him to treat the matter with utmost caution so a small matter doesn't degenerate into a bigger one.This is where our President's deafness has landed us.
In God's court, Buhari will not be able to feign ignorance of the many calls to prosecute that man since last year.He cannot claim that the constitution he swore to uphold does not specify a time frame in which a person can be held without trial.There is no doubt as to the ear that listens to his aides say he is laundering our image and attracting foreign investors with the constant trips abroad but I also pray that same ear listens to the implications of his deafness. 
The international community frowns at human rights violations and everyone seizes every opening to parade itself as an advocate of these rights.The U.S was said to have considered lifting the arms sale ban it placed on Nigeria under the Leahy Law until the killing of the Shi'ites in Zaria.The continued detention of Elzakzaky and the non-prosecution of the military officers indicted by the Judicial Panel of inquiry set up to probe the incident does us more harm than good.This country has a lot of agreements in place with Iran; the spiritual home of the sect and it is unlikely we are still in their good books.
At the end of the day, Buhari's deafness affects us all.What a lot of people saw as an unparalleled zeal to see the guilty punished, they now consider a worrisome problem.
For the people no longer guaranteed any protection by our laws, they will have their day in God's court.A day when all ears will hear.

OYEGUN:THE APC NEEDS A CHAIRMAN BEFITTING ITS NEW STATUS

The current crisis spawned by the Ondo guber primaries in the APC further highlights what was never in doubt-the party is not being run well. Sometimes to move forward in life, you have to leave some people behind.The APC Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun is one of the major reasons why the  party still hasn't grown accustomed to life as Nigeria's ruling party.
The APC's primary objective was kicking out the PDP and its really sad that the party's framework still reeks of that desperation.Oyegun came in handy when the 'unofficial' party leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu needed a man that would nod to his every word as party chairman and now that actual leadership skills count, the time has come to make the leap to a Chairman befitting its new status.Having benefited directly from the internal crisis that plagued the PDP under Bamanga Tukur, the party knows first hand the ills of having the wrong man in charge.
The National Assembly leadership tussle just after the APC assumed power was Oyegun's first real test and he failed woefully.President Buhari stayed true to his promise of non-interference and with Tinubu reluctantly following in PMB's footsteps, he was saddled with the responsibility of handling the divergent interests involved.Despite having chosen its preferred candidates in a mini-election, the Chairman still couldn't rally the troops or at least ensure they all attended the meeting with President Buhari.Like we all know, what followed was the Saraki 'coup'.
While Oyegun may still boast the support of a lot of party members including the President, he has certainly not done enough to deserve it.
Some time in March this year, Oyegun said elections into the party's BoT leadership positions would be postponed by a week because President Buhari wanted to be part of the process and more than 6 months after, the elections have still not held.While I agree Atiku Abubakar squaring off against Bola Tinubu for the BoT seat may have drastic consequences on the party's well-being, its also a pointer to Oyegun's ineptitude at preventing or resolving internal conflicts.The major problem the party has had to contend with since its ascent to the apex is its inability to keep the house united at all times and that could ultimately prove its greatest undoing.
I may not agree with Comrade Timi Frank on a lot of things but I'm with him on the fact that the party deserves better than Oyegun.When the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC  came at Oyegun for hinting that the party was searching for a capable replacement instead of elevating him to the substantive role, it underscored the fact that the Chairman had lost the respect of some high ranking party members.Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu; arguably the 2 most influential APC members have just being added to that list.
A lot of people expected Oyegun to move against Frank and ensure he is removed to keep the house in order but he never did.A high ranking member coming out publicly to attack the Chairman without having exhausted all means of pressing home his grievances in-house definitely didn't augur well for the party.Sadly, Oyegun has not only allowed Frank; a man who argued that Saraki's corruption charges be dropped because he helped the APC win elections continue to paint the party in bad light, he has left the substantive national publicity secretary post vacant.
The time has come for change in the APC.What Tinubu put in place was a haphazard arrangement and the side effects are starting to become obvious as it has become twice as hard to live with the mediocrity they ordinarily would have.
Tinubu reportedly agreed to help secure Buhari the party's 2015 presidential ticket in return for leading his CPC flock into the APC arrangement and allowing him total control of the party's machinery.Agreeing to these terms was the only other criteria for leadership positions asides an endorsement by Bola Tinubu.The party has since grown into Nigeria's ruling party but with a man like Oyegun in charge, the ship might just sail back to the opposition dock.Perhaps they are cut out for that.

LETTER TO MI:TOO MANY CHOCOLATES IN A LOST CITY

Dear MI,

First of, i must say i'm a huge fan and i've been one from the jump.You would think that would deter me from speaking my mind but it turns out its quite the opposite.Guess I wanna see you become a better you.
Its no secret you had long taken over key decision-making from Audu Maikori before he stepped down as Chocolate City boss.You were responsible for almost every artiste the label had signed since you,Jagz and Ice Prince.It was quite easy; you baked the most bread and more or less put the others on.While I am not disputing the fact that you may very well be the best rapper on these shores, i must say you haven't done well as a label executive and that, quite ironically, is more down to your love for music than anything else.
Well, Love is irrational, Love is toxic and Love is wicked.
Love blinded MI to the most basic principle of label management-you don't sign every artiste you love.Asides having to consider a probable investment-return ratio within a certain time frame, you also have to worry about how much time you can devote to their careers, Moreso for a recording Artiste/Exec like yourself.
A budding talent is like a baby and these days, promos are more unconventional than they used to be.The importance of time and attention cannot be over-emphasized.Asides, Dice Ailes and maybe Koker, none of your signees have come close to getting enough of these.I'm talking solid back to back releases in the space of three months with at least a video and enough buzz to not escape the average music lover.
There are just too many artistes on your label and what I am used to seeing is just songs or videos on blogs.Know how Don Jazzy managed to have us all talking about Reekado Bank's SPOTLIGHT album before it dropped even with no hit single and anything outstanding about the artiste?.He pays quality attention to his artistes' careers-lnterviews, lots of 'he & us, he & they' photos; a testament to the unconventional route promos are taking these days.
Jazzy knew when to flood the airwaves with his singles and knew when to give us a break.He cut him loose to go feature on non-mavin tracks (some by upcoming artistes) before and after the album dropped and the end result?.Reekado is everywhere you turn with no bonafide hit to match all the efforts.
I'm an avid music follower but I still can't remember watching or reading any Dice, Nosa or Ruby interviews.If you ask me, leaving Choc City gave Milli all the promo he couldn't get on the label for UNLOOKING and yes, so many people are starting to know Pryse just after she left you.
Sometimes I wonder if you have any money left at all at the end of the day.The label has so many artistes it has to spend on one way or the other without getting anything in return and by 'spend' I mean salaries, allowances, bonuses or whatever remunerative framework you have carved out.Know the sad part bro?.You keep talking about expanding!!.Yea, thats what it is-TALK.You had Jagz's Jagz Nation and Ice Prince's Super Cool Cats become part of Chocolate City and I wondered why a record label run solely from the pockets of its President and Vice with no visible success would talk about emulating Aftermath, Universal and Sony by incorporating its artistes' imprints?.The answer is simple; you are getting way ahead of yourself.
Perhaps a day will come when we will start to run our labels like the oyibos do by talking structuring et al in detail but for now, here remains Naija.If it don't mean more naira then it don't mean anything at all.Expanding a virtually non-existent business doesn't make sense to me.
While we understand it is the dream of every label to run Africa, signing another Kenyan act (Qritical) after watching the Victoria Kimani experiment blow up in your face doesn't speak well of your business acumen.Thats charity bro.
Finally, the part where I offer some free advice.Free up the roster and retain a very 'bankable' few while also improving the promotional aspect of things.Watch what you learn from the white man because we simply aren't even close to them yet as far as music being a business is concerned.Its better to worry about how best to get returns on your investments than being  excessively standardized.
I guess thats all I have to say.All the best.

                                   Yours,Sincerely,
                            Umar Sa'ad Hassan

'BUHARI, PLEASE LET US ASK YOU....'

There are two types of bad Presidents.Ones that erroneously believe they are on the right track and ones that aren't even on any track at all.The first types are very much concerned with optics while wallowing in their illusion of a 'better day some day' because it is the only currency they believe can buy them patience while the second types just go with the flow.Their enthusiasm appears drained by the fact that they know they aren't headed anywhere and are stuck with a people who are stuck with them (Oh no, we don't do resignations here).
The appellation-'clueless' fits President Buhari more than it did President Jonathan.GEJ might be a lot of things but at least he had the nerve to answer to the Nigerian people.He hosted Presidential media chats at an average of once every 6 months.We didn't have to believe in his 'good work', he always popped up to defend it as best he could.Buhari on the other hand, has hosted just one in about a year and 5 months in office and what makes his situation quite anomalous is the fact that in such short period, Nigerians have had to contend with probably the worst suffering in the history of this country.From December 30 2015 when his maiden media chat held to this day, more questions have constellated than in the reign of any President in recent memory. Nigerians want to hear first-hand details of the confusion and indecisiveness involved in the handling of the fuel crisis.How he removed subsidy and reinstated it before finally bumping the price to N145.
We know to well that previous administrations mismanaged our funds and failed to diversify our economy.As a matter of fact, we are tired of being reminded by Buhari why we voted him in in the first place, he needs to tell us about concrete short and long term plans to walk us out of this mess and not bore us with what the PDP has or should have done.Accountability and Transparency were words that featured prominently in the APC   Presidential campaign. 
Even if Buhari were one to allow his work do all the talking for him, it has become imperative that he reverts to his mouth because the story his work tells is one of sheer ineptitude and utter incognizance.Nigerians have a lot of questions they need answered.With the current state of things, one would ordinarily expect PMB to go out of his way to create more avenues to interact and reassure Nigerians and not shy away from existing ones.
A leader with a clear vision and mission or at least one under an illusion he is such, would rigorously pursue our patience by any means necessary and 'Baba Clueless' doesn't seem any of the two.
In a nutshell, the President's relations with us in these trying times go mostly 1 of 2 ways:assurances to rid us of our problems without letting us in on how he intends to do that or heaping the blame on previous governments.
We just can't become big time agro-exporters and in just a year or two and expect it to replace or viably complement oil, it takes ample time and resources to make that happen.Quite frankly, the talk about agriculture is one every government before his seemed to have being 'passionate' about and if he doesn't lay different plans, he won't get a different result.
In his trademark confusionist approach to key issues, after reversing the Jonathan administrations's ban on rice importation through the land borders, he has gone on to re-instate the ban.I simply cannot understand how that makes sense at a time when Nigerians are facing untold hardship due to food scarcity.Well, they may be some sense to that but the President hasn't made himself available to enlighten us.
From where I stand, the PDP may have inflicted serious damage but Buhari seems to be compounding our problems.
While I understand his handlers  may be wary of his tendency to fumble under pressure, having watched him tell 'those christians to go and fight Boko Haram' when questioned about concerns over his decision to join a coalition of Arab states to fight terror and also shockingly refer to his appointment of Ibe Kachikwu (from Delta State) as a South-Eastern appointment amongst other things, they must understand a 'disconnect' will do him more harm than good because it gives the impression that he simply has no solutions to our problems and is scared of being asked questions.
For the good of both of us, Buhari please let us ask you.

WHY WASN'T PATIENCE JONATHAN CHARGED IN THE FIRST PLACE?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on what I felt was some plea bargain deal between the Presidency and certain key members of the Goodluck Ebele  Jonathan administration-http://umarfarukhassan.blogspot.com/2016/08/gej-sambo-and-deziani-biggest-cows-are.html.There seems to be a calculated non-enthusiasm in making them account for what was perhaps the most corrupt stewardship since our return to democracy and President Buhari has already proven to be one to shut his eyes to the truth as far as certain individuals are concerned by telling us there was no 'Abacha loot'.When reports surfaced that Dame Patience Jonathan, the former first lady had sued the EFCC over its freezing of accounts connected to a fraud case involving a former Presidential aide, Waripomei Dudafa and a host of companies with no known addresses, it made the math much easier.
The said accounts are said to be holding a total sum of $15M and the Dame has slapped the EFCC and Skye Bank with a N200M suit for a number of reasons prominent among them, the absence of a court order allowing the freeze.If you ask me, the temerity of the act suggests there might even be more than a plea bargain in place.No one can easily rule out instances of a few 'thank you' sums here and there.The ex-first lady isn't feeling lucky to be left out, what she appears to be doing is sticking her neck out for other members of the 'team' in what maybe a threat to those they had agreed with.It would be next-to-impossible for the EFCC to sell any theory about missing the part where she was involved, so they leaked a report that a further $5M has been found in another account with the same bank (Skye Bank) as a face saving measure but that hasn't seemed to work any magic.
From where I stand, the bullseye should have been on who gave Dudafa and his bogus companies those sums from the get-go.It is rather strange that the EFCC didn't seem to trace the origin of those funds at anytime during investigation and its case cannot be said to be water-tight if the companies are non-operational and they leave Dudafa room to say he picked up the money at a dump site and still get away with it.At the time of filing the charge and Patience was nowhere near the case, whose money did Dudafa ought to know was stolen?.There is certainly something no one is telling us and whatever it is, it is very bad.In an affidavit deposed to by a Mr Somiari supporting her application, it was stated that she had being using the ATM cards to the accounts from 2010 till they were frozen, so are we to just believe the EFCC forgot to charge her as well or that they neglected to investigate all transactions carried out in respect of the accounts in question?.Two things make perfect sense to me: One, there was never any intention to charge Mrs Jonathan and two, her guts make me want to believe GEJ and 'the team' may have entered a mutually beneficial agreement that transcends plea bargain.The audacity of the former first lady is simply mind-blowing.
The attempt by the EFCC to cover its tracks only worsens matters.It sounds rather too convenient that they chose less than 48 hours after the Dame's lawsuit to stumble upon a $5M account in her name and in the same bank.Instead of mitigating the damage, all it does is raise further questions as to the sincerity and credibility of this war.
The integrity card played a huge role in PMB's victory at the 2015 polls and its a shame to watch him disappoint Nigerians.We wanted a sincere war on corruption that would spare no one but so far, the biggest cows still remain sacred.It remains to be seen what will happen to the one that has brought herself to the slaughterhouse. 

THE 2019 ANGLE TO PRESIDENT BUHARI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION WAR

"A cockroach is never safe amongst rats"

A lot of neighbourhoods in Kaduna where I grew up had at least one 'old soldier'.They literally live off their exploits either as soldiers of the biafran army or ones drafted in to help the Nigerian army fight the civil war.They always seem to be under a perpetual illusion of invincibility.They do nothing other than bore you with the same war stories everyday; either at beer parlours or at the  drought game joint.The few that actually chose to pursue a means of livelihood mostly did so as gate men perhaps in line with the 'once a soldier' saying.
President Buhari is playing old soldier and he has something the one in my neighbourhood never had-Power.And like Walter Annenberg rightly said: "The greatest power is not money power but political power".What makes his particularly very easy to weild is the fact that virtually everyone who has ever played a prominent role in government is dirty.
There is always a 99.9% chance of digging up dirt on anyone who has held office so its just a matter of 'point and kill' as far as most Nigerians are concerned. Our 'old soldier at the top' has gone on to silence two of his  fiercest critics-Olisa Metuh, the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Media/Publicity Director of the Party's Presidential campaign, Femi Fani Kayode with corruption charges.The third and fiercest of them all, Ayo Fayose is barely being protected by the immunity clause as the EFCC till date hasn't furnished us with any proof that it secured a Judge's consent before freezing his account with Zenith bank as stipulated by Section 34 of the EFCC Act.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki's prosecution by the EFCC remains the only one of an APC member and it just so happens that it came after he embarrassed President Buhari in broad day by conspiring with the opposition to have himself voted in as Senate President on a day set aside by PMB to meet with the party's lawmakers.The President's anti-corruption war is largely one-sided so when a top member of his party is pencilled down for investigation, it is more or less an eclipse.The quite 'unusual' investigation of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso for the use of over N3 Billion from his state's joint local government account during his time as governor to fund his Presidential campaign came as a shock.It had me looking deep to carve out an ulterior motive if any and I ended up discovering a pattern.
Apart from serving as a means to decimate critics and weaken the opposition, the war could very much also be serving as a weapon against potential threats to the President's seat .The most potent threats are bound to come from the north and so far, virtually all the sellable northern candidates have been targeted by the EFCC.I'll take it from the very top.
Sometime last year, Isa Yuguda, the former governor of Bauchi state was invited to the EFCC to answer questions as regards an aircraft of the Bauchi state government.He was never charged with any offence and it automatically implies that he is innocent if the matter has not been revisited till date.
Then you also have the case of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau who was accused of sharing in the N950M campaign funds sent to Kano by the Jonathan presidential campaign.After his release, he said someone named him as a N25M recipient but could not state where, how and when.His case seems closed as well.
With a President who has lost so much love in just his first year in office, these ex-governors represent two of the PDP's best possible options for the Presidential ticket come 2019. The PDP will definitely field a northern candidate come  next elections and the 'anti-corruption' channel remains the easiest way to diminish a candidate's popularity.
With Sule Lamido, the ex-governor of Jigawa state technically ruled out as a result of his protracted battle with the EFCC, Ibrahim Shema, the immediate past governor of President Buhari's home state of Katsina stands a better chance than even any of the aforementioned names of flying the party's flag but just last week, a certain Nasir Ingawa, who served as a Special adviser of his,has come out to accuse him of diverting billions of SURE-P funds allocated to Katsina State for political campaigns.He still hasn't fulfilled his promise of providing proof till date and one can't conveniently dismiss it as not part of a plan to taint Gov. Shema's name early or even one to lock him up ahead of the polls.
Senator Kwankwaso represents the best in-house option to President Buhari.He was second at the primaries and performed extraordinarily well as Governor of Kano state and if there is one person the APC can sell to Nigerians in the President's place, it is Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.With the APC shedding some of its formidability as a unit due to internal fighting, the Senator could capitalize on that to upset the President at the primaries and good old EFCC is very well on the path of making him only the second casualty of Buhari's party.I wouldn't be surprised if the matter dies a natural death like others before it.The deaths suggest more than anything that the EFCC has no case against them and that there could be another version of selective prosecution we are just learning about: one to weaken potential threats to his seat.
With most Nigerians fast running out of patience, the President may have devised a means to stay in the game and whether it works or not, time will tell.