2027: THE LESSONS OF JONATHAN-BUHARI MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN

If there is one thing the 2015 presidential election must have taught us,it is that we mustn't be too absolved in changing a government we are dissatisfied with to carefully scrutinize the option before us.Most Nigerians felt they deserved better than Goodluck Jonathan and didn't pay much attention to the concerns raised about his opponent,the late Muhammadu Buhari.It is no secret that Buhari's administration is today widely acknowledged as the worst government in the history of this nation.

While a lot of us may not have been old enough to see for ourselves the leader Buhari was when he governed in 1984 as a head of state, 1999-2007 which is of more recent memory helped form the basis upon which judgment was passed on Bola Ahmed Tinubu.Simply put,he is the father of modern day Lagos.

That he doesn't live up to expectations as President of Nigeria doesn't mean people would kill themselves for choosing him.The antecedents displayed before us were quite enticing but just like Jonathan in 2014,a vast majority of nigerians today are unhappy with his administration and feel they deserve better.This is where we must thread with caution.The main problem Nigerians have with Tinubu is the hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal but to start with,the candidates that ran against Tinubu in 2023 promised to remove fuel subsidy and deploy the finances to better use.They may criticize other things he may or may not have done but only a hypocrite would harass Tinubu today for removing subsidy and anyone who thinks life will instantly get rosy after its removal without some sacrificies on our part doesn't even know what they are saying and should never be President.

Personally,the problem i have with that policy is not that it is a bad idea,it is that enough has not been done to cushion its effect on the average Nigerian.3000 gas-powered buses were promised to the 36 states but nothing has been done in that regard.Secondly,such policies go best with strict price-control measures especially pertaining to essential commodities but Tinubu and his people didn't do much as far as that is concerned and thirdly,its hard to explain why fuel refined in this country is just N100 cheaper than imported fuel.Dangote's refinery is privately owned but a purposeful administration will by any means; whether by drowning it in taxes or by making it impossible to export or import petroleum,force it to make the price of its products reasonable for the betterment of nigerian lives.

That having been said,recent happenings in the ADC which is more or less a coalition of the foremost opposition figures in the country leave a lot to be desired.There have been concerns that the coalition was championed by Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and anyone coming in to vie for its Presidential ticket would face a hard time.The departure of Peter Obi and Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso to the NDC days ago lends credence to that.I for one have said before that in the absence of a consensus opposition candidate then the best move would be for strong candidates to form early alliances so that they can merge their support base.Obi and Kwankwaso were the first to do so and that may not have sat well with the powers that be in the ADC.We again need to remember 2015 and not just accept anyone shoved down our throats.

Atiku may have had a bigger and better platform in the PDP to run in 2023 but on a level playing ground,is he a better sell to Nigerians than Kwankwaso/Obi?.I understand it makes much political sense to exploit the dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration by presenting a candidate from the north which is the largest voter base in the country.Only a southern president who has been outstanding can depend on northern support for a 2nd term.If not,the lure of voting someone from their region is always too strong to resist and as far as that goes,Kwankwaso is from the North West (core north) comprising what is fondly referred to as the 'Kardashian states' (Kano, Kaduna and Katsina) and he is starring alongside the most marketable politician from the South East currently.

Just like Tinubu, Kwankwaso's track record as Kano governor speaks loudly for him.As a matter of fact,the reason why a lot of people from the North chose Tinubu ahead of him was only because the presidency needed to move South for the sake of national unity.I have told people severally that the only politician i would pick Atiku over is the late Muhammadu Buhari and that is the Buhari that had given us the worst 4 years ever and not the one of 2015.If anyone thinks Nigerians are too blinded by their unhappiness with Tinubu to weigh what is before us then they better think again.

When President Tinubu whom the ADC now wants to oust conceived the idea of the merger that became the APC and set about unifying interests,he did not insist that he would be the presidential candidate of the new party.As a matter of fact,he guaranteed another man the ticket because he was better positioned as a northerner.Tinubu is today reaping from that unselfish deed.Atiku may have been the force behind the ADC after being bullied out of the PDP by Nyesom Wike but that should not automatically mean he gets the party's ticket or that he is the best the party has to offer.

We traded a Rolls Royce for a Keke Marwa in 2015.Nigerians mustn't allow anyone exploit their displeasure with an incumbent president to get ahead in life.We need to be as sure as humanly possible that whatever candidate we choose is a better option than what we currently have.

THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS OF ABBA YUSUF'S SWITCH TO THE APC

The safest play for Gov. Abba Yusuf has always been leaving the NNPP, the only thing that mattered was how and with whom.Under President Tinubu we have seen a very skilful intrusion of the 3 main opposition parties with varying degrees of impairment.We all know of Nyesom Wike's 'enemy within' status in the PDP and of course Lamidi Apapa; the man who declared himself Labour Party Chairman after Julius Abure was removed by the Supreme Court and whose first act in office was ordering Peter Obi to withdraw his presidential election petition against President Tinubu's victory in the 2023 elections.The most seldom talked about of the 3 moves to weaken if not kill the opposition has been that of the NNPP.

A faction led by the founder of the party,Dr. Boniface Aniebonam expelled Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso and suspended Gov. Abba Yusuf.Both were accused of creating their own faction of the party and instead of eventually making it easy for his political foes to disqualify him through the courts in 2027 for winning an invalid NNPP gubernatorial ticket,it was wise for Abba Yusuf to seek another home.What most didn't expect however was that he would move anywhere without his political god father and in-law; Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Over the past 2 years,he has seized every opportunity to pledge allegiance to the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement that brought him to power and it was shocking to say the least when rumours started emanating from credible sources months ago that Gov. Yusuf was getting ready to ditch not just the NNPP but also his god father and their political movement for none other than their sworn enemies,the APC.There have been insinuations that Abba's victory in the Supreme Court in 2023 was thanks to his hiring of President Tinubu's lawyer,Wole Olanipekun SAN and that a friendship may have been struck but what is not in doubt is that the political dynamics of Kano have been severely jolted making the state the most interesting watch as the next electoral cycle approaches.

As resignations of several appointees of Gov. Yusuf notably commissioners has clearly shown us,his move to the APC will not cripple the Kwankwasiyya movement and while it is good from a political stand point that he has taken with him the majority of elected officials,it is important to also take into consideration the territory he has swam into.Regardless of whatever they may want outsiders to believe,there are 2 factions in the Kano state APC-the Ganduje faction and the Barau Jibrin faction and both exist (no) thanks to President Tinubu.Recent happenings particularly the renaming of Sen.Jibrin's organization from Barau/Tinubu to Barau/Tinubu/Abba indicate Gov. Yusuf is with the Barau Jibrin faction whose existence is widely attributed to President Tinubu's need to have someone other than Ganduje as the face of Kano APC.

Anyone who has closely observed Ganduje's relationship with Tinubu from the onset can't help but feel Ganduje has to harbour some resentment.Asides of course the large money sunk into the Tinubu campaign,another reason attributable to his electoral success in 2023 was early preparation.As early as 2020,he had already set his machinery in motion and his very first public ally was then Kano state Governor,Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who was branded a guaranteed pick for Vice-President.Tinubu's body language towards Ganduje changed en route the APC primaries with some party insiders citing a strong dissatisfaction with how his campaign funds were spent and when Tinubu won with Kashim Shettima as his running mate,people thought Ganduje would be made Minister.Tinubu not only over-looked him but as we have also come to know with the viral 'Who is Maryam Shetty' video,chose someone without his knowledge talk more approval.

That choice had to be rescinded for someone else only after public outcry about Miss Shetty's ties to Former VP, Yomi Osinbajo who had run in the APC primary against Tinubu.Ganduje was eventually handed the less glamorous APC Chairmanship position which as we all know,he was forced to resign from.Ganduje may be a lot of things but he has never been one to pick a fight from a disadvantageous position.When Kwankwaso was leaving office in 2015 and there were stories of him preferring another successor over Ganduje who was his long time friend and ally,Ganduje did not try to cause any trouble.He sucked it all in and when Kwankwaso chose him perhaps due to how he would appear to his supporters,he waited to assume office before unleashing hell on him.Ganduje is loyal and patient while being taken along but it is as clear as day that unless by a divine change of circumstances,he cannot dream of big things with the Tinubu administration.

There is a possibility that he may choose to express his bitterness by not supporting Gov. Yusuf who is sure to become Tinubu's candidate for 2027; a spot initially believed to have been reserved for Sen. Barau Jibrin.But then the issue of Abba not being able to count on Ganduje's whole-hearted support aside,there is also the very glaring fact that he is now toe to toe with his mentor,Rabiu Kwankwaso whom without a scintilla of doubt,is Kano's most loved politician since the late Aminu Kano.

The loss of members of his political movement to Abba and the financial muscle they would provide will not worry him as it would an ordinary politician because his biggest asset has always been the love of the masses.He served them well in office and can bank on their support whenever he requires it.As he has proven in the 2 elections his candidate has come up against an incumbent since he left office,the average man on the streets loves anything associated with him and not even money can change that.

Being in the APC and with a majority of the noteworthy members of the NNPP does not guarantee Abba Yusuf victory in 2027 or any political elevation for that matter.It is doubtful if he has the political skill-set required to navigate the diverse interests and big egos in his new party and though he has performed creditably well in office,it quite frankly as things stand,still isn't enough to sway the masses from their patron saint; Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso.There are interesting times ahead.

NO HALFWAY FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION: A LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU

Dear Mr President,

Let me start by first acknowledging the fact that your government has so far proven to be one that has left little or no room for wanton looting of our funds by its officials.At this stage of your predecessor's first tenure,there were numerous corruption scandals that involved people as far up as the first family & it is heart-warming to say the least that two and a half years into your presidency,we have not had to sit and watch people being accused of stealing outrageous sums running into hundreds of billions.You also suspended a minister at the onset for allegedly misappropriating a 'chicken feed' N500M compared to what we were used to seeing being carted away and when another Minister was struggling to justify buying N1.5bn fuel in a month,you had her replaced the first chance you got.I also give you credit for the prosecution of Former CBN Governor,Godwin Emefiele as well as the massive recovery of our resources from him.Former aviation minister,Hadi Sirika not only played us for fools with the sham called Air Nigeria,we also saw images of a 'palace' he was building in Katsina and i am glad he has been charged to court.I must however Mr President,say that the good people of Nigeria deserve much more in the fight against corruption.

While opinions may differ on your leadership,the verdict is unanimous on you being the best politician in current day Nigeria.There have been suggestions that you were being cautious in your anti-corruption crusade because you didn't want to be branded as an anti-north president but your body language over the past year suggests you are focusing more on southern votes and the number of governors decamping to the APC lends credence to that.If you split the votes in the north and sweep everything in the south,you have all but won.That Mr President would also mean you don't have to worry as much about optics.Let those who have borrowed trillions in our names and looted us dry pay dearly for what they have done.

Hajiya Sadiya Farouk,the former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs is widely accused of overseeing perhaps the largest corruption scheme in recent times; cash transfers to the poor and vulnerable.When she was arrested by the EFCC over N37bn that could not be accounted for,many felt the day of reckoning had come but sadly she has still not been prosecuted or absolved of any wrong-doing.While she may have not being the most influential minister under Buhari,she was the one most people pointed to when there was a need to highlight the dubious and humongous sums claimed to have been spent by that government.

Many would not ascribe the most influential minister tag to Farouk only because it fits Abubakar Malami better.The Former Attorney-General of the Federation had the ears of the President and was so close to him,he ended up marrying one of his daughters.From the bizzare letter that emanated from Malami's office barring all law enforcement agencies from investigating former NIRSAL boss,Aliyu Abdulhameed to the controversial disposal of seized assets,i am sure it would take more than the 1 month the EFCC currently requires to look into the numerous atrocities he is being accused of.It is gladdening to say the least that the EFCC has deemed it necessary to investigate him for paying his lawyer friends and old political buddies $17M to write a letter for the repatriation of over $321M looted by the late Sani Abacha after all the work had been done by a foreign lawyer.

Mr President,this matter and any that may come up in the course of investigation must be followed to a logical conclusion.Malami must be charged to court if indicted.Same as Hajiya Sadiya Farouk.The brutal rape of this country under Buhari must not be swept under the carpet.As earlier mentioned,your current political moves allow room for you to deal decisively with anyone involved without any fear of rejection by their people so please act accordingly.I was not suprised when you said you did not collect money from anyone to run for office despite having ran unarguably the most expensive presidential campaign in the history of this country because that much had already been clear to eyes that are open when a video surfaced of APC governors queuing up to collect cheques at their presidential primary election.Needless to say i am also not suprised that we have not been inaundated with one corruption scandal after the other as was the case with your predecessor whose wife was wearing ferragamo capes just after months in office and had been exposed to activist Deji Adeyanju by the former CSO she claimed had scammed people of N1.5bn in her name as having given him the money to keep and had even ordered the buying of a property in Abuja for her daughter.Those who say Jagaban is too rich to loot us dry have so far been proven right but it is imperative that you also take seriously the issue of those who have done so.

The sacrifices Nigerians have had to make for the economy to take a turn would have been minimal if a minute few weren't borrowing,recovering and then stealing our resources.Let none of them be spared.

                                               Yours Sincerely,

                                    A Concerned Nigerian

FUBARA CANNOT DEFEAT WIKE PLAYING NICE

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is the most loved politician in Kano since the late Aminu Kano but it was hard to see him allowing Abdullahi Ganduje to run the state single-handedly.Ganduje shortly after taking over from Kwankwaso as governor started to sever ties with Kwankwaso and the colossal Kwankwassiya movement via which he rode to the Kano state house.Ganduje was to everyone then, an easy going gentleman who didn't have it in him to survive a Kwankwassiya onslaught and I remember in an article i wrote titled 'Anything Can Happen,This Is Kano' in 2015, I quoted Walter Annanberg-"The greatest power is political power".

Ganduje went on to utilize the power at his disposal to woo converts, establish himself and seize the entire party machinery from Kwankwaso.When Nyesom Wike annointed Siminalayi Fubara as his successor in Rivers state, you felt he couldn't have settled for anyone better.Wike was certainly not one to retire and relinquish his political structure to anyone and what better choice than this man who in just about every public outing,was always behind or practically bowing beside him.

Fubara looked like someone who would ask the FG to forward his state's allocation to Wike for his blessings first.There have been several stories as to what actually started the Fubara/Wike crisis with one saying Wike was as high-handed as sending someone from Abuja to 'observe' state executive council meetings.Whatever the root cause may be however,the governor's open challenge to 'anyone' who feels he has done any wrong to come out and tell Rivers people so indicates more than anything that his only sin may be refusal to be dictated to.The only reason adduced by Wike till date is that he doesn't want the political structure in the state to be torn apart.

The swift response of the Rivers governor to a plot to impeach him by the state assembly was a surprise to many who had long written him off as too timid to go toe to toe with Wike.The state assembly building was bombed and law enforcement agents were ordered to shut out even the governor from the premises but the man along with his supporters on foot, bamboozled their way through amidst heavy tear gassing.The majority leader, Edison Ehie who was removed for being loyal to the governor to pave way for the governor's impeachment was hurriedly installed as speaker by lawmakers loyal to the governor while Wike's man Martins Amaewhule was impeached.In what has been interpreted as a move to instill fear in Wike loyalists and remind everyone who the boss in Rivers was, fake news was leaked to the press that he had sacked all his commissioners and suspended the Chief Judge.Fubara had let the world know emphatically that he wasn't going to bend over for Wike.

But then this is a war not a battle and quite unlike Ganduje in Kano, Fubara has done practically nothing to consolidate.27 state house members loyal to Wike out of an overall total of 32 decamping to the APC speaks volumes of that.There are no saints in politics and with the amount of resources at his disposal; appointments,contracts and of course money, Fubara should have wooed more than half of those 27 lawmakers as a first step to protecting his seat.Ganduje didn't just stop at owning the state house, he ensured everyone that mattered in the party then was with him.He made Kano too hot for Kwankwaso to even visit as it was a common sight then to see armed thugs moving along with policemen.

Having lost his cash cow; Intels Nigeria Limited, I was among the first people to say Abubakar Atiku had to have financial backing from as high up as Aso Rock before Wike himself said so in one of his all-too-popular speeches.Reports from the PDP Presidential Primary in Abuja indicated that Atiku paid delegates $20,000 and that was the only amount higher than Wike's $15000.Atiku may very easily say he is a businessman but if 237 people voted Wike at the PDP Primary, how did he source $3.5M for those votes?.Any discrepancy in government books is a tool that can be used to pile up pressure and demystify the enemy.As successful as Kwankwaso's tenure was as governor,everyone was jolted by news that the EFCC was looking into allegations that the 44 LGAs in Kano were made to donate N70M each for his APC Primary Election.

I will say again that Nigerian politics is not for saints.Fubara cannot defeat an enemy like Wike playing nice or hoping that peace talks are fruitful.He may as well resign today and save himself the stress of having to be booted out.He can at the very least, act like Wike would if he was in his position-get the support of the state house of assembly that has the power to impeach him at all costs; everyone has a price.If Wike has no limit to his spending because he has managed to sell to President Tinubu that he is trying to make Rivers an APC state then Fubara can scream to high heavens that money is being looted in Abuja to fund the war against him.Wike would do just that.

Challenging the cross-carpetting of 27 lawmakers from the PDP to the APC in court would be an exercise in futility because the Nigerian constitution says they will not forfeit their seats if there is a division in the party.That clearly exists with 2 separate factions of state house of assembly leadership from PDP.To be honest, it would be a miracle for Fubara to stay afloat.

What is not in doubt is that such miracle would not happen if he doesn't try to win over some of those lawmakers instead of warring them.He needs to learn from others that have fought and won these wars.

PARTY MEMBERSHIP: OUR COURTS REALLY NEED TO GET IT RIGHT

To say the least,the attitude of our courts in cases bordering round party membership have been far from satisfactory since the new Electoral Act came into being on 25th February 2022.They appear totally oblivious of the fact this is a new law and court cases springing up in the first electoral cycle will form precedence.Courts have made very controversial decisions with regards to the mandatory and explicitly clear requirements of the Act that a party maintains a register of its members and that the register be presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission at least 30 days before the party primaries.Section 77 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act read as follows:

77.(2)-Every registered political party shall maintain a register of its members in both hard and soft copy.

(3)-Each political party shall make such register available to the commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for the party primaries,congresses or convention

With the absence of any proviso stipulating extenuating circumstances,the presence of the word 'shall' in these sub-sections shuts the window on any work-around.The only argument worth listening to is that the Act is silent on the consequences of non-adherence and as such,none can be fashioned out for it but then the Mischief rule of legal interpretation or the Heydon rule as some would call it,would come into play.Curbing the practice of hurriedly leaving a party just to contest elections on the platform of another is one of the things this Act seeks to achieve. 

The first high profile case regarding membership I came across was that of the Allied Peoples Movement V Peter Obi & the Labour Party.The Court of Appeal was elaborate in its probing of other issues but kept things light on the issue of whether Peter Obi was a Labour Party member having joined after the party had submitted its register to INEC.

Though the court rightly ruled that no copy of the register of members submitted to INEC was tendered in evidence in dismissing APM's appeal from the Federal High Court,asking APM to pay both Obi and his party N200,000.00 each in costs said more than anything that the court thought it a frivolous action.It may be incompetent but certainly not frivolous.APM had a good ground but just went about it the wrong way.

When the APC raised this same issue of Obi having joined his party after its register was submitted to INEC and could not be deemed a member of the Labour Party per the provisions of the Electoral Law,the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal ruled that 'Membership of a Party was a Party Affair'.That is erroneous to say the least.The Supreme Court has held that the concept of 'independent candidate' is alien to Nigeria.Section 131 (c) of the constitution says that only a member of a party can be presented for election as President and going by the provision of Section 77 (3) which essentially answers the question 'Who is a Member',anyone whose name is not on the register of members submitted to INEC at least 30 days before the party's primaries is not a member of that party.The validity of a candidacy per the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act is what is being challenged and that is way past the realm of 'party affair'.These are not criteria laid down by a party's constitution but the laws our land.

While bantering with some APC friends of mine ahead of the judgment of the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,I told them the real issue there wasn't whether or not Abba Yusuf won the election because anyone who was in Kano during the elections knows he did,it was whether or not he was an NNPP member in the eyes of the law with the APC having tendered a certified copy of the NNPP register of members from INEC.To my utmost surprise,it declared it a 'Party Affair' perhaps in line with the legal principle of judicial precedence.The Presidential election petition tribunal which had earlier ruled similarly on Peter Obi is effectively a Court of Appeal comprising justices from that cadre of the judiciary while State Governorship Election Petition Tribunals are comprised of High Court justices.

The tribunal based its decision in Kano to deduct 165,663 votes from Abba Yusuf in what has been widely perceived as a Get-him-out-at-all-costs mission on non-compliance with Section 60 (2) of the Electoral Act which requires a presiding officer to sign and stamp a result sheet but that infraction is remedied by a proviso in the form of Section 63 (2) which says the returning officer must rule out those unsigned/unstamped result sheets as not being part of the collection assigned to the presiding officer for them to be void.

Its always sad to see the real winner of an election get booted out for reasons other than whether or not they were the choice of their people but the Court of Appeal's reliance on Section 77 cannot be faulted.The APC unlike APM in Obi's case,presented a copy of the NNPP's register from INEC; the one bonafide custodian of the list of registered members presented at least 30 days to a party's primary.It is legally impossible to present a 'better' list unless of course INEC denies the tendered list as emanating from it.

The fact that the Electoral Act is a new law and that the courts are laying precedence with these fresh batch of cases cannot be over-stated.There is a need to apply the law as appropriately as possible because whatever a superior court decides in law is binding on a lower court.The ridiculous notion that it is a 'party issue' when the validity of a candidacy as laid down by our laws and not a party's constitution is questioned needs to be corrected in the best interest of justice.

ENFORCING THE BAN ON UNAUTHORIZED POLICE PROTECTION: A CASE FOR THE PRIVATE SECURITY SECTOR

The Minister of State for Police Affairs,Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim on Monday at a 2-day retreat at the Ministry said the police high command will execute President Tinubu's directive for the withdrawal of all policemen on VIP special duties.No one will be blamed for taking his statement with a pinch of salt because that is not the first time Nigerians have been promised such.Muhammadu Buhari shortly after being sworn-in as President in 2015 issued the same directive which was never really complied with.

Three years later the AIG of the Zone 5 Police command in Benin,Rasheed Akintunde was in the news for saying only 20% of Nigerian Policemen are involved in their core duties of protecting lives and properties while 80% are on guard duty to prominent people.We had barely digested that when another revelation came just a few days later.The Police Service Commission put the total number of police personnel guarding VIPs and other unauthorized persons at 150,000.Asides robbing Nigerians of quality enforcement of law and order,the practice of security operatives being available to guard whoever can afford it has not allowed the private security business in Nigeria grow past uniformed guards manning doors and heavily built persons moving around with clients as body guards.

This is an industry with a global value of about $230 billion.One can't help but think how these businesses would create jobs and boost the economy in a place like Nigeria.Once the right laws are in place to permit the right persons to carry firearms and create further steps to generally ensure a more conducive climate for these businesses to operate,the sky will be the limit.Guards with military or policing experience earn up to $100 an hour in the US while those in the UK get as much as £1000 daily.Our companies may not charge as much but they would sure make a tidy profit providing services to a clientele no longer dependent on our communal resources; the Police,Army and DSS in this case.

An expected outcome of such a move would be the high and mighty agitating more than any of us ever would,for a more secure Nigeria because of the very 'costly' implications.As is the case overseas where these companies thrive and depend on profits to survive,they keep evolving to tackle prevailing security challenges.Clients will ditch them if services aren't top notch and they are very much aware of that.President Tinubu's transformative antecedents are a strong reason why I supported his Presidency bid and he proved true to type when he reeled out an elaborate blue print on tech.

With Nigerian start ups like Flutterwave becoming multi-million dollar companies and billions of dollars of foreign investors' money now up for grabs as seed funds for tech start ups in an increasingly digitalized world,it is only right that strong emphasis is placed on that sector.Of all the candidates on display,only Tinubu did that.The security industry is also one with a potential for exponential growth and I can only hope a visionary like him will see that.His directive that policemen be withdrawn from unauthorized persons needs to be implemented to the fullest.

We have seen cases of some of these VIPs even adding military men and DSS agents to their entourages.A second directive was issued for withdrawal of policemen during President Buhari when embarrassing videos and photos of them acting as errand boys to some VIPs became rampant.This necessitated police investigations into long-being-asked questions as to the sources of wealth of two of such persons.It is no secret that quite a number of people inappropriately enjoying the protection of our security agents are widely known as criminals eager to show off wealth and affluence as is customary to do in their world.

That quite sadly, will inevitably rub off on the younger generation we intend to dissuade from towing that path.They are now inspired by not just latest Mercedes Benz purchases and dollar spending at night clubs but also by these role models driving round town in long convoys of policemen,soldiers and DSS operatives.The merits of vigorously enforcing this ban aren't just economic,there are other far-reaching ones as well and it is my hope that this administration sees that.

WHY AFRICA ISN'T YET RIPE FOR A GRAMMYS CATEGORY

"Don't doubt me,I go bring home grammy"

These were the words of Abolore Adegbola Akande better known as 9ice.Any avid lover of Nigerian music when 9ice recorded Street Credibility with 2face Idibia would agree there was really nothing special about these lines because just about every one of his peers was promising or aspiring to a Grammy in their own words.It was so coveted a prize the wins of 'Foreign Nigerians'; Seal and Sade Adu were celebrated as ours.We rooted hard and were heart-broken each of the 4 times Femi Kuti was nominated and lost in the World Music Category.

The Afro-Beats genre had been popular overseas since the days of his late dad,the great Fela Anikulapo Kuti thanks a whole lot to the ingenious instrumentation so it was easy for him to tour the world and keep the global spotlight on himself in a way his colleagues who were doing contemporary music couldn't.But then over time,modern day Nigerian and indeed African music has evolved albeit under the Afro-Beats moniker.Artistes have gone from trying to make the most of features by music super stars intrigued by our sound to recording high-selling albums and Billboard certified hits.People aren't just listening to us play instruments any more.

Burna Boy not only won us the much elusive Global Music Album category with modern day Nigerian music,his last 4 albums have been nominated back to back.Wizkid's Essence is currently double platinum (2 million units sold) in the US and paved the way for his collaborator,Tems who went on to feature on Future's Wait4You; effectively winning the Grammy alongside him when the song won Best Melodic Rap Performance.

Burna Boy is nominated in that category this year for Sitting On Top Of The World featuring 21 Savage making him the 1st 'truly' African artiste to be nominated in a main category.That is a huge win.Nigerian music is 90% of African Music or even more as 12 out of the 19 Most streamed African songs ever being Nigerian songs will show so pardon the heavy emphasis on Nigeria.

Yes,African Music has grown beyond these shores but is it ripe enough to own a category at the Grammys?.No,not yet.

Opening up Global Music to include a Global Music Performance category in addition to that for an album is really just as far as the Grammys should have gone for now.There is the legendary Angelique Kidjo who is all but certain to win any Global Music nomination and a Femi Kuti who has been a 'customer' of the Grammys for reasons other than that he is making waves but a careful look at the nominees for the preceding 4 years will reveal that just 2 other African acts worth mentioning have been in the fray-Burna Boy and Wizkid.

They were the only ones who really stood a chance and both are not only ranked the 2 biggest African Acts in the world but also the best.That says that only Africans that have conquered the world make it up there not just to complete the numbers.Though Arooj Aftab's Mohabbat beat Wizkid's Essence to Global Music Performance in 2022,it didn't go platinum and didn't make it to Billboard 200 like Essence did.

The Grammys is transcendental and anyone in Africa who has ever dreamt of winning it has always known they would have to pull off something extraordinary.Wizkid in addition to having a double platinum track in the States and first African song to be on Billboard 200; top 10 as a matter of fact, also has an album with Gold certifications in the US,the UK,the Netherlands,Canada and Switzerland.Take out Mama Kidjo and that is the only level of quality from the motherland capable of disrupting Burna Boy's Global Album Grammy choke hold.The exploits of the African Giant are well known and need not be told; he is the biggest African artiste for a reason.

Excluding Queen Angelique Kidjo who will enjoy 'honourary' status till she retires,how many other African artistes asides Wizkid and Burna Boy can truly be referred to as Global artistes?.I can only count Rema who doesn't just have the first African artiste-led track to reach 1 billion spotify streams in Calm Down featuring Selena Gomez but also has the most streamed African album in Raves & Roses & is being heavily played across the world.Yes,African Music has gained the world's attention but a lot still needs to be done in comparison to Latin Music; the other 'foreign music' to own categories in the Grammys in addition to having its own seperate Grammys; the Latin Grammys.

African Music needs to have at least 5 artistes going platinum in the biggest music markets in the world and selling out big arenas before we should talk about an African Music Performance category otherwise a Grammy would go from that prestigious plaque every African artiste wet dreams about to what is up for grabs for even one hit wonders doing shows at obscure night clubs in Malta or Finland in the name of touring.If just a handful of artistes are known by music lovers outside Africa and are recording hits people play then I am sorry but we can't really say we have arrived yet.Its best to allow the Grammys retain its mystic quality and not drop it in the realm of standard-issue.

MEGA PARTY: HOW FEASIBLE IS THE MOST REALISTIC WAY OF OUSTING THE APC?

Soon after the 2011 general elections which the PDP won by a landslide,Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the media calling on all opposition parties to form a mega party.By 2013 he had reached out to every component of what is today known as the APC and sold to them the idea of a coalition that would produce the most popular opposition figure and perennial contestant; Muhammadu Buhari as presidential candidate.That singular move cemented his status as one of the greatest politicians in the history of this country and not a few of those that voted him into power in the 2023 election hope we will all benefit from his wisdom.

The NNPP's leader and former Kano Governor,Rabiu Kwankwaso met with the PDP's presidential candidate in the last election,Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday and that had tongues wagging.With the PDP now the opposition amidst a Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party that have both grown some teeth,it appears the only way to not split but pool the votes of everyone dissatisfied with the APC is by borrowing from the Bola Ahmed Tinubu hand book-form a mega party.The APC currently controls 20 states while the PDP has 13.Each of the new players; NNPP & LP have 1 each while the only major party that refused to join Asiwaju's coalition in 2013; APGA also has 1.If one considers that Wike's man is in place in Rivers which effectively makes it an APC state then even after conceding Kano to NNPP,the APC is in control of 7 out of 10 of the most populated states in Nigeria.So it is not just about the number of states the party has but also the 'quality'.Note also that as is the norm,we would likely have governors crossing over to the winning team with none in any other direction.While a mega party may be the most viable option of ousting the APC,its feasibility is another thing altogether.I will highlight 2 main factors.

THE NATIONWIDE STRUCTURE OF THE PDP

Frankly speaking,the APC was mainly comprised of 3 parties; the ACN which was more or less a South Western party,Buhari's CPC which was without a doubt a northern party and an ANPP which had become comatose no thanks to Buhari depleting its ranks in its strongest base; the north to form his own party.None could realistically do it alone so it was easy for Tinubu to sell the idea of unification especially after guaranteeing his biggest ally,Buhari the 2015 presidential ticket as we had all heard even before the party was formed.

The PDP whether we like it or not is still big and remains the only opposition party with a nation wide structure so it might be difficult to convince them they can't do it alone.Would they enter into an alliance without not only insisting on producing the next presidential candidate but also on having the main say in how the mega party is run?.

INDIVIDUAL EGOS OF KEY PLAYERS

Before the 2023 presidential election there were negotiations for an alliance between the camps of LP's Peter Obi and NNPP's Rabiu Kwankwaso which ended in a stalemate because of the refusal of either to drop their presidential ambition for the other.Even with the already very clear indication that Obi enjoyed way more support and that no one could sell Kwankwaso's ambition past Kano,he did not align himself with him.Those who excel most in politics are those who manage to balance dreams with reality.Tinubu did not insist on the APC's presidential ticket in 2015 despite forming the party because he knew then that a northerner was best for their collective goal of ousting the PDP.He didn't even do so when he held the keys to the ACN in 2011 because he knew at that time,a northerner stood a better chance at opposing Goodluck Jonathan than a fellow Southerner.A lot of individual interests would need to give way for them make the most of any arrangement.Here we have 'small' parties who cannot even agree amongst themselves before you factor in a PDP which would likely want to boss them both.

For our sake,i pray the Tinubu administration succeeds so we wouldn't have to look elsewhere in 2027.Otherwise we will most likely with eyes wide open embark on a journey to no where.

SCRUTINIZING TINUBU'S CHOICES FOR NASS LEADERSHIP...

President-Elect Tinubu and his people started preparing for the 2023 elections just months after President Buhari was sworn-in for a second term in 2019.He was choosing allies,building bridges and assessing strengths and weaknesses before most of the candidates had even made up their minds to contest.That speaks volumes of the man's ability to prepare adequately for a task.That quality along with how President Buhari made a mess of the National Assembly Leadership elections in his first tenure by sitting idly and refusing to choose a path early for his party by rooting for the candidates he felt he would work best with meant no one was suprised by media reports that the Jagaban had chosen his preferred National Assembly leaders.

In 2015,a villain ex-Governor who was being stoned in his home state conned his way to the leadership of the senate and became a national hero only because he was using the senate to fight back a President who was hell bent on destroying him.Many did not see that,they only saw a brave warrior who refused to be intimidated by Buhari.The lessons of that point in time will always be available to the political class for reference.

Moreso a Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has to deal with a National Assembly where a 2/3 majority will no longer be a stroll in the park considering the amount of lawmakers from other parties.The total amount of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives exceed the APC's 179 members and the APC's 60 out of an available 109 senatorial seats all but ensure the National Assembly will not be a family affair.

Below i have tried to discuss in as much detail as possible,the people Tinubu has identified to help him navigate the challenges likely to be posed by a polarized National Assembly and the politics behind his decisions.

GODSWILL AKPABIO FOR SENATE PRESIDENT,BARAU JIBRIN FOR DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT

The choice of former Akwa Ibom state Governor,Godswill Akpabio for Senate President all but confirms one thing-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not bow to the North.The North West is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria and the weight the region carries has always influenced the choice of political bed mates by those from other regions.

When analysts were busy speculating on who Tinubu's North Western VP would be,he shocked everyone by going to the North East.This is the first time since 2007 that the North West has not either produced a President or his Vice and being a man of great political acumen,Asiwaju was going to hand over the Senate Presidency to stay on friendly terms.He was going to endorse unarguably the most loved APC politician in the NNPP Kano, Sen. Barau Jibrin who would serve as not just an olive branch to the North West but also as the most viable means of opposing the NNPP with a view to recovering the largest state in Nigeria; Kano.But No.

Jagaban obviously doesn't think anyone is entitled to anything and has chosen to carry everyone along so Akpabio from the South South is his pick.Godswill Akpabio may not be as white as snow but he is dogged and committed with the right incentive is in play.These attributes made Buhari and his people reach out to him in time for the 2019 elections and the APC ended up winning 2 LGAs in a PDP strong hold and getting over 175,000 votes.He was rewarded with Minister despite being a new member of the party.

Akpabio will be expected to not just run a senate hoping to get APC votes alone but one that will look to make a lot of friends from other parties and possibly get them to jump ship.He has the experience,clout and most importantly, political connections having being a 2 term Governor in the major opposition party and a Minister in the ruling party.We may see a lot of division created in the opposition parties to enable cross-carpeting members fulfil constitutional requirements.

In line with Jagaban's philosophy of shedding heavy reliance on the North, Akpabio will also be required to make in-roads into the South South and make the APC a major player across all 5 states.

TAJUDEEN ABBAS FOR SPEAKER,BEN KALU FOR DEPUTY SPEAKER

The North West was a definite choice for Speaker if it didn't get Senate President.It was only a question of who.Alhassan Ado Doguwa is a known favourite of Tinubu and he went on to indicate interest in the seat despite having accusations of murder and arson hanging on his neck but of course the optics of endorsing him have to worry any sane person.If you add the fact that Tajudeen Abbas has been in the House of Representatives since 2011 to the fact that he represents Zaria Federal Constituency; primarily consisting of Zaria Local Government Area; the LGA famous for giving Buhari 111,082 votes in 2019 in Kaduna state which is the 2nd largest state in the North West after the Deputy Senate President's Kano,his choice is a no-brainer.

Abbas may not be reputed to be a mobilizer or outstanding leader of men but he provides the North West its consolatory slot.The one thing analysts doubt he has the ability to do unlike Akpabio in the senate,is protect efficiently the interests of the APC amidst 181 opposition members.

Unlike President Buhari's 2019 choices which had a North Westerner as President and Deputy Speaker and a South Westerner as Vice President and Speaker,Tinubu's choice of Ben Kalu from the South East means Tinubu's government if all goes how he intends,will have a national outlook.Every region is represented in the top heirachy of government.Personally i think Rep.Miriam Onuoha from Imo state would have been a better choice for Deputy Speaker considering the fact that she is a woman.That would have added a little something extra to the nationality of his government but either way,the intentions of Jagaban have been noted.He wants to run a Nigeria that will carry everyone along.

Though there have been reports of several aggrieved candidates in both houses forming alliances to sabotage the President-Elect's choices as endorsed by the APC,it is left to be seen how things will play out.But going by antecedents,it is never safe to bet against Jagaban in a game of politics so barring a miracle of humongous proportions,these men are all but in already.

EMIR SANUSI REVIEW: ABBA YUSUF MUST PLACE KANO FIRST BY SEEING THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE

I remember the only time i had ever seen deposed Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in person.I had just discovered a mechanic in April 2017 who told me of a work-around i had never before heard of to elevate the rear of my car.The whole process cost just a fraction of what i would have ordinarily spent and i was ecstatic.I left the car with him and couldn't wait because i had some where else to go so i boarded a tricycle.I didn't notice anything special happening along the Murtala Mohammed Jumaat Mosque Road in Hausawa,Kano though they actually was.It was only when we got to the entrance of the mosque that i noticed Emir Sanusi doing an open top procession.

Whether or not it was a calculated move to bond with his people i still cannot say but he wasn't heavily guarded by either conventional law enforcement agents or his palace guards.He was so unlatched,pulling up to his side was very easy but no one seemed the least interested in doing that.No one was cheering and as a matter of fact,no one was as much as giving a second look.It dawned on me more than ever that Sanusi wasn't adored by his people.

I read an African Report article on Thursday and it told me more than anything else, just how far the story of the incoming NNPP government's promise to review Emir Sanusi's dethronement had travelled and just how keen even those outside these shores were to watch it unravel.Whatever the incoming Abba Yusuf administration does,it must put the interest of Kano people first.I wrote an article calling on the outgoing administration to do same when it suspended the probe of Sanusi for misappropriation of funds due to the intervention of 'prominent persons' and i am sure Ganduje regrets back-tracking on that today.

He cannot convince anyone he did not create additional emirates and placed them at par with that of Kano just to spite Sanusi when they fell out before of course, Sanusi's eventual dethronement.It doesn't matter what Ganduje has to say in his defence,that is what everyone believes and as far as they are concerned,Kano funds that could be better utilized are now used to operate a structure put in place only to belittle an Emir.I may not be the most knowledgeable in matters of tradition but i know for a fact that the North has the highest reverence for traditional institutions in Nigeria.The turban of an Emir being tied to drop low and cover his mouth emblematizes the need to guard his utterances.

A monarch must never place himself in a position where he will engage in a back and forth; via the media or otherwise, with a political office holder or his aide.He must be heard advising a government as a father of all and not criticizing it.Like i always say,there is no such thing as a modern day traditional ruler.Governors and Presidents go to bow at their palaces despite having the power to unseat them when the sanctity of the institution has not been desecrated.

I supported Sanusi's enthronement on the basis of equity and the need to spread it across the ruling families whenever the chance presents itself but i was quite vocal also in the need for him to conform to the demands of the position and relinquish it if at all he can't.Those of us that supported him then were no doubt in the minority as reference to the ensuing protests that greeted his appointment would prove.People eventually let go because the deed was done by a very popular Kwankwaso administration that had endeared itself to the people of Kano.The consequences of that act were felt most after Kwankwaso had left office.

It is a well documented fact that Sanusi sent his daughter Shahida to represent him at the inaugural Chibok Girls Lecture in Abuja in 2017 instead of any member of his council.She did not only brag openly about being the first female to represent an Emir,her father via a video message,eulogized her before the audience for slapping a boy once.It is no secret,this is in the public realm.

Ganduje may have gotten it wrong with the creation of emirates but he got Sanusi's dethronement spot on.Just like there cannot be a digital Hawar Daushe horse procession for Sallah,there cannot be an activist or feminist Emir.

I call on the Abba Yusuf administration to in addition to feeling the pulse of Kano indigenes regarding Sanusi and also considering the imprioriety of switching Emirs in their lifetime,to also thoroughly scrutinize the corruption allegations against Sanusi.He did not appear before the committee set up to probe him to defend himself neither did he send it a written defence.

The innocent; especially those passionate about exposing corruption and waxing sanctimonious about fixing societal issues would ordinarily jump at a chance to defend themselves against such damning allegations.Why didn't Sanusi do that?.Very basic questions as to how N113M was spent on travels not budgeted for amongst other expenditures totalling N3.4bn were left unanswered.At the very least,government has to consider the costs of maintaining the expensive lifestyle of an Emir.Such blatant flamboyance amidst so much suffering is never a good look.

Engr. Abba Yusuf must shed whatever personal sentiments he or any one he is loyal to may have and worry about what is best for Kano people.They deserve it.They voted for him en masse against a party in power and stood so solidly behind him after voting had ended,it would have been practically suicidal to rig the results.Let the best interests of Kano people come first.

POLITICS IS NOT FOR SAINTS, IT IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED BY MEN LIKE ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wasn't lying when he said he made Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015.Tinubu as National Leader of the ACN did not just float the idea of a merger in the press,he reached out to the other components of what is known today as the APC; notably Buhari's CPC and an agreement was struck in 2013 for the retired army general to run on the party's 2015 ticket.Buhari faced far more richer opposition in Former Vice-President and wealthy businessman Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and then Governor of Kano,Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso who had both just moved into the APC with loaded GMGs (Ghana Must Go) and were also vying for the 2015 ticket but Tinubu ensured they didn't buy over the delegates and kept his promise to Buhari.He was the leader of South West politics and it was with little or no effort that he delivered what Buhari had lacked in his failed attempts at the Presidency; the bloc vote of a region other than the North in a Presidential election.

You may however be right to say Tinubu wasn't doing all these from the goodness of his heart.It all looked like the pieces were falling in place perfectly for him; Crown a President who will forever be in his debt and have him deploy everything at his disposal to back him after 8 years.There were no flaws.

Buhari finally became President and things took a wild turn not just for the 15 million nigerians that voted him but also for the man that got him that far.Buhari handed the reins of the party entirely to party chairman,John Odigie Oyegun and denied Tinubu any wriggle room as Party Leader.When the Kogi gubernatorial flag bearer,the late Prince Abubakar Audu passed away before the state elections,what looked like an easy stroll to the ticket for his running mate and Tinubu boy,James Faleke turned out not the case.A certain Yahaya Bello who finished second was instead asked to run.Then came the Ondo APC gubernatorial primary that produced Rotimi Akeredolu SAN as winner.Tinubu's preferred candidate was Olusegun Abraham,an international businessman and despite getting party leaders to label the process as 'corrupt and laden with irregularities', all efforts to hold another primary were thwarted by an Oyegun strongly backed by President Buhari.Tinubu had had it.Or so we thought.

When Atiku Abubakar couldn't run in the PDP for the 2007 Presidential election no thanks to his battle with President Obasanjo,he teamed up with Tinubu who also was an arch-enemy of OBJ's to form the ACN.In 2016 it was Tinubu reaching out to the ever desperate Atiku to unite and either form a new party or decamp to their old party in the '90s; the SDP.Perhaps it was a bluff intended to make Buhari jittery and prompt him to extend an olive branch but the President didn't budge.

Leaving a house he built was never really an option and an open show of opposition against the President from within the APC would necessitate the enthronement of a new guard in the South West to demystify him completely.Tinubu made the best choice for his career; he was not only going to take whatever the President threw at him with a smile and bid his time,he was going to support the President and make it difficult for the man to declare war against him.

When he mobilized his political capital of Lagos to deny incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode an APC return ticket,a committee was sent from Abuja to hold a fresh primary.But of course common sense prevailed as it would be unwise to fight a man as influential as Tinubu was in the entire South West with general elections just months away.Ambode's ouster was allowed to stand and Tinubu never took offence.He worked hard for Buhari in the 2019 elections and won him Lagos by every means necessary.

Like they say,no one knows the corners of a house better than the man who built it.Soon after the 2019 election,Tinubu set his 2023 machinery in motion.He was silently making allies and making sure he kept it difficult for Buhari to fight him openly.When Mrs Funke Olakuri; the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was gruesomely killed by suspected herdsmen,Tinubu said at his residence that he didn't know who did it but he knew it wasn't fulani herdsmen before ending his interview with the now famous "If so,where are the cows?" line.

When the South West was being ravaged by insecurity and other leaders of the South West were championing the establishment of para-military outfit, Amotekun and fighting the refusal of the Buhari administration to allow it,Tinubu laid low and pretty much sat on the fence when he was made to say something.When he was being blamed for the killing of End Sars protesters by soldiers in Lagos,he never directed them to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces.He only denied sponsoring the protests and asked protesters why they were there in the first place.If he couldn't win Buhari's support,he might as well keep the hate at same level and not be made a blatant enemy.

By the time the APC 2023 Presidential primary came,Tinubu had made inroads to just about every corner of the party and was undoubtedly set to clinch the ticket.Insane money had been piled up while he was scheming behind the scenes and there was simply no way even a sitting President could fight him dollar for dollar without raising eyebrows.Tinubu and his people had identified what needed to be done and had gone about it before others even had one foot in the race.

The only available option to the President was to push for a consensus candidate.The APC primary was postponed by a week and series of meetings held but it was already too late.The lame move to push forth an argument that only a Northern candidate would be able to match the PDP's choice of Atiku Abubakar was met with stiff resistance by the Northern Governors who were supposed to back it.Tinubu had them in his kitty.

The primary finally held and delegates were said to have gotten $40,000 each with the intention to go higher if his foes wanted a dollar war.A video that emanated from the venue of the primary showed Northern APC governors queuing up to receive cheques.Tinubu achieved what everyone thought impossible-win the APC ticket against Buhari's will.

That Tinubu has still chosen to bow before Buhari despite the opposition to his aspiration tells you just how shrewd a politician the man is.With his campaign team on one hand headed by Gov. Lalong of Plateau state,a presidential campaign council was also established with Buhari as the head.The story about Buhari sponsoring Atiku's victory at the PDP primary was lent credence to by Gov. Wike who all but confirmed same at one of his numerous musical speeches and Tinubu is keeping his enemy closer to feel safe.His patience has not run out and his focus on the long run has not wavered.

With the APC in control of 22 states plus a foot hold in 9 others at the very least,Tinubu is the realists' favourite to win the 2023 election.It doesn't matter whether you hate or love the man,you just have to salute the man's political prowess.

Politics is not a game for saints,it is meant to be played by men like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

THE REALITY OF NIGERIAN POLITICS AND WHY PETER OBI IS DAY DREAMING

The growth of social media has succeeded in making the world a much smaller place but that hasn't at all meant a good thing through and through.An easy point of reference is the conventional media.Following a number of sensational victories at elections by opposition candidates that have enjoyed massive support from the online community in Africa,the foreign media has grown lazy and instead of analyzing forthcoming elections on the continent based on concrete on-ground reports,they are doing so based on online polls.It is imperative these lot stick to their figures on internet accessibility in Africa and let that serve as a basis why any online data should serve as a corroborative source and not an outright yardstick.It breaks my heart to see outlets like The Economist judge the chances of a candidate like Peter Obi of the Labour Party based on online polls.

2023 will teach a lot of lessons and those that stand to benefit most asides foreign media are the Obidients; the name coined by supporters of Peter Obi,the Labour Party's Presidential candidate to describe themselves.The passion with which they go about campaigning for their man is incredible but then it is shocking that quite a number of them not only think they stand a chance of winning the 2023 Presidential election,they deem themselves the number 1 contenders.It is commendable that a number of young people have become interested in governance but it is important they dig beyond what Google has to offer as far as Nigerian politics is concerned.There are 2 key players in a Presidential election.

THE REAL STRUCTURE

Members of the NASS are captured here but the main components are the Governors and their God fathers (if any) across the 36 states.They are in charge of the campaign for their states.In addition to the South West votes which the APC states availed Buhari in 2015,another reason why he won was the nPDP Governors that moved to the APC.Senators and Reps may prove instrumental but certainly not as much as the Governors.Anyone of them not in good terms with the Governor and lucky to still be in office goes the extra mile to work for the party's presidential candidate even unsolicitedly because it is his chance to not only gain potentially his biggest ally ever but to also impress the party heirachy at the top and prove his usefulness.So essentially,having the state party leaders handles everything.

THE FOOT SOLDIERS

Like Walter Annenberg so succinctly put it-"The Greatest Power is Political Power".There are a million and one politicians; big and small eager to maintain or create ties with the current person in power for their own good and these set of people serve as his/her link to the grassroot.These people are behind the scenes and run the actual campaign.Their supporters mobilize for rallies and facilitate financial inducement (a lot of Nigerians are hungry); which has proven very useful in voter accumulation.They also provide the muscle to fight dirty before or on election day.

Opposition parties that upturn the status quo don't just spring up overnight with sweet talk of what Nigeria ought to be,they usually have prominent politicians in their midst that have created a formidable presence in those states amidst a gradual or rapid movement to them from the second set of players especially.

Typically however, having the first set of players means having the second as well and even the most revolutionary election in our history; that of 2015 is down to the existence of the 2 aforementioned players.A new data puts the number of actual voters not active on the internet at 90%.Obi and his people may wax motivational about suffering teachers and tailors being the real structure but no matter how hard they run away from the truth,it is there to stare them right in the face.They stand absolutely no chance against the octopus reach of the APC and PDP.There is what Nigeria ought to be and there is what Nigeria actually is.2023 will teach lessons and i hope they learn.

WHY LOOT RECOVERY SHOULD FORM A HUGE BASIS FOR CHOOSING OUR NEXT PRESIDENT

If there is anything the indictment of suspended NPA boss,Hadiza Bala Usman by the panel set up to investigate her for failing to remit N165bn into government coffers has highlighted,it is the need for Nigerians to rigourously pursue a government that will go about recovering the humongous sums looted under the Buhari administration.Nigeria has effectively been reduced to a borrowing country over the last 7 years not by a government providing massive infrastructural development but by one that plunders what it brings home content in the fact that it can always go and borrow more.

The revelation by Rotimi Amaechi,the Minister of Transport that China is no longer interested in providing funds (loans in more honest terms) for the financing of joint projects calls for concern.China took over a Ugandan airport and some other assets over an unfulfilled loan obligation last year and would gladly encourage us to keep borrowing to lay their hands on as much as they can.If they aren't then it could very well mean that we have a debt portfolio so unhealthy they can no longer provide even money they have under-taken to.

Quite frankly,no one expects anything serious to come out of the Bala Usman indictment.Before her,there was the case of Ibrahim Magu,the former EFCC chairman who was indicted by a Presidential panel.Before his appointment as EFCC chairman,Magu had been indicted by the Police Service Commission for removing and tampering with EFCC files and by the DSS for living in a N20M per annum apartment paid for by shady persons he was moving around with.Buhari knew all these and still insisted on him after he had been rejected by the Senate perhaps because Magu fitted into his plans.It took a face off with a closer associate of the President, the Attorney General,Abubakar Malami for him to lose his seat and despite strong recommendations by the Salami panel that he be prosecuted,the Buhari administration has looked the other side.

The NDDC which once famously claimed it spent N187bn in 7 months amidst scandalous accusations of fake,unfulfilled and over-inflated contracts including some by the current Minister of Niger Delta,Goodswill Akpabio is more or less a dead case.To speak of loose change,the President's son-in-law absonded with $64M and he is still no where to be found because he is not Sunday Igboho or Nnamdi Kanu.Buhari will always go and borrow more for the party to continue.

Nigeria is steadily edging closer to the N40trn debt mark; a shocking N32.5trn difference from the N7.5trn this administration inherited from the GEJ administration.As Nigeria hangs on for dear life,it is very important that loot recovery forms a very vital consideration in who should become Nigeria's next President.While of course there is the need to have a shrewd administrator to aggressively trim the excessive costs of governance like a Peter Obi is sure to do,the fact is there is very little or no room for growth if we are servicing existing debts and borrowing some more to stay afloat.

The most practical solution to this problem is chasing down the massive sums looted under this government in the name of palliatives,maintenance of refineries and the sorts and put them to beneficial use.If that will happen,then to be honest,no one from the APC fits the bill.Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi whom many deem the brightest prospect in the party has already promised to 'continue where Buhari stopped'.He and others with their heads up Buhari's ass cannot be trusted to go about recovering the scary figures borrowed in our names; monies we will still be paying 2 generations from now.The President's support for 2023 comes with INEC and the whole security apparatus and as such,no one can be trusted to look Buhari et al straight in the eye after so much 'help' and do what is right.

With APC governors,Vice President Yomi Osinbajo and Party leader,Bola Tinubu saying Buhari is doing his best with regards to insecurity,no one in the party can be trusted to go back and eat their vomit by asking questions about the trillions purportedly spent on defense over the years.Excluding all allocations for 2022,this government has spent a purported N10.06trn on defense since 2016 while of course,Nigerians have been left to depend on a virtually non-existent military.

Buhari himself told the Saraki Senate he withdrew $496M from the Excess Crude Account to pay for 12 Super Tucano Airplanes without Senate approval as the law demands because he had to meet a deadline.That contract wasn't awarded till 7 months after he had written the Senate and the details released by the US Pentagon on its website show the contract was for $329M with a not-too-exceed sum of $344M.Buhari owes us an explanation as to where $167M or in the latter case,$152M of our money went.That is just one case.No ally of the President can be trusted to retrieve these sums supposedly borrowed for our collective good and put them to judicious use.Buhari is working,isn't he?.

The 2023 elections are a make or mar occasion for Nigeria.We are swimming in huge debt with little or no chance for significant growth but the good news is that all hope is not lost.The bulk of these huge sums can be recovered from the very few persons in government that have commandeered them for themselves while Nigerians have been left with a comatose economy and huge debts to pay.All that will depend on who becomes Nigeria's next President.

Yes,there is a need to distance yourself from any candidate talking trillion naira plans because they clearly don't have a grasp of the situation at hand and Yes,there is a need to take seriously anyone focused on cutting costs and growing the nation with realistic plans.But above all,side with anyone who in addition to that,is honestly worried about what the sums looted under this administration would do if recovered and why Nigerians shouldn't be left to suffer for their leaders.

FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL AND THE MADNESS OF MAINTAINING REFINERIES WITH AN AMOUNT THAT WILL BUILD 4 NEW ONES

Removal of fuel subsidy has become the Buhari administration's way of announcing an impending increase in fuel price.Before coming into office,his official position regarding subsidy was made categorically clear when he said-"Whoever says he is subsidizing fuel is a fraud".Buhari himself is calling Buhari a fraud.

When the news was all over the place days ago that there would be a N5,000 transport allowance for the poorest Nigerians next year; the same class of Nigerians that were promised the same amount every month by this same administration, it was obvious we were looking at a huge 'subsidy removal'.The figure being quoted currently is N340-N500 per litre which means even in the best case scenario,we are looking at an above 100% increase in 'subsidy removal'.

One need not be a petroleum expert to know the easiest way to drive down fuel price is to refine all our oil at home and one of the main promises the Buhari administration made when it came into office was to not only have our refineries up and running in no time but to also build new ones.A proposed $2bn refinery in the President's home state of Katsina rang out loud.While all of the country's 4 refineries are as comatose as they have been for years,the NNPC told Nigerians in June 2020 that a whopping sum of N1.47trn had been spent on 'revamping and maintaining' the refineries in 5 years.Refineries that don't actually refine oil.

That figure had increased by about N800bn by March this year when Buhari approved $1.5bn for the 'rehabilitation' of the Port Harcourt refinery.The Dangote refinery will cost $19bn with a refining capacity of 650k barrels per day that surpasses the combined 445k barrels per day capacity of all our refineries by 205k barrels.A thorough break down of what has been spent on our refineries viź-a-viź their operational capacities will show very clearly that $26.5bn will comfortably build us 4 new refineries at the very least.Yes 4.As a matter of fact,Buhari's proposed Katsina refinery project is 150,000 barrels per day (more than the existing Kaduna Refinery's 110,000 barrels per day capacity) and has a total cost of $2bn.Also note that this sum covers the purchase of pipelines that will link the refinery  to Niger Republic as well.

Buhari will not tackle this problem both as President and Minister of Petroleum because he doesn't want the madness to end.While he is borrowing endlessly to fund 'maintenance', the NNPC is telling us on the other hand it will borrow to buy into Dangote's refinery to further lend credence to the theory that our refinery problem will not end because there are people at the highest levels of government and their families that have invested in Dangote's project.What is more?.Dangote will sell back refined oil to us at the international market rate and not at a suitable price.

With the maintenance culture of Nigeria in mind and the uncertainty that other administrations would be as committed,a well meaning government would have prioritized the privatization of these refineries a very long time ago.It would only look to give the ones on ground a face lift with a view to enhancing their value and placing it in a good bargaining position with investors.

Instead of functional refineries to make the lives of Nigerians easier,the poor man is now being promised N5,000 for transport amidst a satanic increase in fuel price.

A N5,000 disbursement he has no guarantee will go beyond the first few months at the very best while President Buhari keeps borrowing to do all he does that only he sees and 'maintain' refineries.Buhari appears hell bent on not only destroying this country but also on bringing untold pain and suffering to its people.When they fashion out a viable means of survival like cryptocurrency trading,he shuts it down.When doctors interview for foreign jobs abroad,the DSS is sent to the venue to disrupt the process.

Our main source of revenue; crude oil has doubled since the global lock down but our finances appear to be far worse of.Borrowing trillions of naira abroad to embezzle under the guise of refinery repairs and such other schemes is the reason why Nigeria may never be the same again after Buhari is done.Previous governments may have looted our resources too but they were never this inconsiderate to the plight of Nigerians.No one borrowed as much as N30trn and no one is likely to either pay thugs to disrupt protests against fuel price and charge the protesters for their crimes or get policemen and soldiers to shoot them outright.

Money that will build 4 new refineries from the ground up is being used to rehabilitate old ones while this government is teasing its third and most crushing fuel price increase since it came into power.God save Nigeria.

HIGH TENSION 2.0 REVIEW: THERE IS MORE TO BELLA SHMURDA THAN THE WORLD KNOWS

        

Bella Shmurda reminds of American super star,Future.Both swept their respective music leagues with a style and voice no one had seen prior.The only point skeptics could effectively raise was that of staying power; whether or not they had the flexibility to wade through the times and not bore anyone after a while with a model some new cat out there was already working on modifying.

Future has since gone on to be a consistent No.1 artiste in the states and if anything,Bella has proven with the High Tension 2.0 EP also that he will be here for long.While recourse to the High Tension (1.0) EP released early last year may be made in a wholistic evaluation of his artistry, fact remains Bella Shmurda  became Bella Shmurda when he dropped Cash App.With success may have come more devotion and commitment to the art so it is only fair a critical appraisal starts from that point.

Since Cash App we have seen an artiste with a gift deploy it to use on follow up tracks and features but Bella still needed to allay fears there was more to his game than 'turn up' and High Tension 2.0 does just that.If an artiste sounds natural when he delves into hitherto unvisited territories,then he isn't trying to be an all round artiste,he actually is one.Rush; a pre-released single which helped cement his status as the industry's next big thing (after the monstrous Cash App) is the only turn up song on the EP.The Party Next Door title might suggest otherwise but it is made on a mild overlay.In a nutshell, stereotype Bella started and ended on Rush as far as High Tension 2.0 is concerned.

On the opening track titled Out There (Intro),he soberly preaches courage amidst turbulent times and on the infectious World right after,he caters for upliftment as much as he does for groove.Bella waxes on a rich mid-tempo instrumental-"If I ever lie to the world,I can never lie to myself.If I ever lose to the world,I can never lose to myself.If I ever run from the world,I can never run from myself.Even I don't see nobody,I will always see myself".

Lako and Soldier Go are love songs that tell the same story but in different expressions.While on Lako we see an energetic Bella cruise deftly between pitches on an electronic string-laden instrumental,on Soldier Go; a radio friendly jam with the most potential to blow up on the EP, he adopts the subtle every day love song format to very absorbing effect.

The fact that Bella Shmurda's vocal quality is his number one asset cannot be over-stated and how he goes about his art tells you he doesn't really need much more to succeed-no fancy beats or an elaborate composition,all he does is get on the mic and every beat no matter how ordinary appears sublime.Some may call him a glorified freestylist but he is definitely one from another world.Rip away his vocals from Champion and that beat would appear good for nothing.

Everything points to the fact that Bella Shmurda is here to stay.Best believe.

REXXIE'S 'A TRUE CHAMPION' & MASTAKRAFT'S 'MASTA GROOVE': A TALE OF A PRODUCER AND A BEAT MAKER

If ever anyone would have to tell a difference between Mastakraft and Rexxie,it is that Mastakraft is a producer while Rexxie is a beat maker.The sound tells you everything to expect before you know who these talented soundsmiths are-Mastakraft, at least a decade older with a mostly agbada or suit dress code and Rexxie,much younger with colourful dreads,skinny jeans and boots.The one thing off is while Rexxie deserves more credit than anyone for the new wave street hop movement,he hasn't been as adventurous with the vigour of youth with his sounds as Mastakraft has been.Rexxie seems content with making street hop and afro-pop hits (back to back I must add) but 'Mastaa' has stretched to just about every music genre from house to kwaito.The magical sound of Funkie featuring Tamba Hali is the best testament to how far-reaching Masta's width can stretch.

Either way,both are among the finest producers in the country; top 3 perhaps and when both decided to bless music lovers with their bodies of work within the space of 4 days,it was special.

One thing was certain from the very jump-Rexxie was likelier to serve up the most hits for the younger and far more populated audience that want to dance and sing along while Mastakraft was going to make the more beautiful music.

As far as expectations go,Rexxie does serve up a mostly street hop content with quite a number of catchy tunes; the most impressive being Mofoti 2.0 feat Naira Marley and Sarkodie (if of course one takes out the pre-released Ko po Ke feat Mohbad which is one of the biggest hits in the country).Masta was always going to show off the knack for making those breath-taking instrumentals that require minimal vocal input and he does so fabulously well on the opening 2 tracks of his 7 track Masta Groove EP-Brown Skin with a spoken word flowetry and Big Man Rhythm feat Selebobo.For the pop songs,you can almost feel with your skin Rexxie's desire to speak to versatility when he opens A True Champion with 2 pop songs back to back-Frenemies feat Oxlade and Boi Boi feat Teni.But it is on 2 low tempo songs that we see how well he can do out of his comfort zone- All; a mesmerizing love song feat Davido and For You feat Lyta and Emo Grae.

No disrespect to the phenomenal talent of Rexxie but Mastakraft is a more versatile producer; the 'real' producer school which places much emphasis on all facets of the sound.Uluuluu feat Mr Talkbox and Abeykehh feat Diamond Platnumz and Flavour best attest to that.The beat doesn't have to be catchy,neither does the lyrics,everything just needs to come together to form a magnificent whole.Masta Groove sounds more like a producer's body of work than Rexxie's A True Champion.It doesn't show off beats or an intimidating guest list,it above everything else,shows off production skills.

HALF A TRILLION NAIRA CASES WE ARE SUPPOSED TO FORGET WHILE BUHARI BORROWS US TO DEATH

No one right now is deceiving themself President Muhammadu Buhari is an anti-corruption crusader and man of integrity.Even his minions find other ways of defending him without it having to come down to that.There is simply no way to justify the fact that cronies who have stashed away trillions of our money that he has had to sack perhaps because he had no other choice,are walking around free enjoying their loot.

In a half sane clime,the President would bend over backwards if not for anything the optics of endlessly borrowing billions of dollars overseas every few months, pretend to worry about those accused of looting us dry by prosecuting them and recovering what they have taken.In the 'bad' days before Buhari took over,an increase in oil prices meant more money for government but things are getting worse as things stand.Worse than they were when oil sold for $40.Nothing around us suggests our lifeline; oil is now at $76 and still rising.

The humongous looting of our resources under Mr Integrity provide an easy answer to why either with borrowed or generated funds,this administration has nothing tangible to show.

While Buhari is busy pursuing a fresh N2.3trn loan,below are just 5 corruption cases that hold 25% of that amount.All classical cases of how the monies collected while borrowing our lives away end up.

A NIGERIEN ARMS DEALER WAS HANDED N166.5BN OF OUR MONEY

Back then the question was why would the Federal Government be in business with Aboubacar Hima; a Nigerien arms dealer who had a reputation for fraud even in his home country.That question was answered for many when President Buhari more or less confirmed the long standing rumour that he was originally from Niger Republic when he said he had family there and also referred to his cousins living there while justifying the Kano-Maradi rail line project.Several reasons have been put forth as why this government did business with him, notably that they needed a discreet source of arming bandits/boko haram.Whether or not that is the case,Hima has been declared wanted by the EFCC for absconding with $394M,€9.9M and N369M meant for the supply of arms.All amounting to a naira total of N166.5 bn.

There were doubts when that news broke too.The EFCC is an appendage of any government in power and what Nigerians looked out for and never saw was the Interpol declaring him wanted on our behalf as well.While we are here watching, Aboubacar Hima has wriggled through most of his legal troubles in Niger (bribed through some would say) and at the start of May this year, was announced as the boss of a newly registered company in the Nigerien capital of Niamey; Prininvest.I hope no one out there thinks Buhari is serious about apprehending the man.

BUHARI'S SON-IN-LAW ABSCONDED WITH $64M

Gimba Yau Kumo was the former Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank and it was not until the Presidency issued a statement after a $64M theft was reported in the media that most Nigerians got to know President Buhari's daughter,Fatima had separated from him.They were married in 2016 in a colorful ceremony in Daura, the President's home town in Katsina state.The Presidency did not hand the story of Kumo's theft to the press,it only confirmed it when word had gotten out.If it had,that would have being the only valid basis to counter any notion that the President isn't keen on punishing his (former) in-law.If they really want Kumo arrested,the Presidency has all it takes to make that happen.

HADIZA BALA USMAN'S UNREMMITED N165BN

Hadiza Bala Usman's removal as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority was quite intriguing.She in addition to being an ally of President Buhari,has been referred to over the years as the 'unofficial 4th wife' of Gov.Nasir El-Rufai.In addition to these,she is a northerner in government; from Buhari's home state to be precise.The word is there was a face off between her and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi but If she was kicked out,then it means there was a huge scandal no one could save her from without getting burnt themself.

Soon after she was fired,a memo leaked showing she was being accused of not remitting N165 bn into government coffers...And that was it.She is somewhere relaxing-No EFCC,No ICPC, nothing.Nigerians are expected by the Buhari administration to take solace in the fact that she was sacked.As for their money,he will always go and borrow more.

MAGU'S EFCC MISDEEDS

After the Attorney General of the Federation,Abubakar Malami wrote President Buhari recommending the removal of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman,a memo by Malami asking all law enforcement agencies not to investigate a case of fraud against the NIRSAL Managing Director,Aliyu Abdulhameed was leaked online.Shortly after,the public also got to know he facilitated the sale of vessels put up for auction to a company standing trial for stealing 12,000 metric tonnes of our crude oil loaded in a vessel.Magu was not one to take everything lying low and it would have been interesting to see the lengths he would go if he was charged to court.

Magu would have probably aired the dirty laundry of the big fish himself; President Buhari.Like I repeatedly say,Buhari was very well aware of who Magu was when he appointed him EFCC Chair and insisted on him despite the disapproval of the Saraki-led Senate.Magu had been indicted by the Police Service Commission in 2010 for tampering and removing EFCC files.And also by the DSS which accused him of living in a N20M per annum residence in Abuja paid for 2 years straight by dubious characters he had been seen fraternizing with.Buhari knew who Magu was and if he still wanted him as the head of EFCC then it meant Magu's track record suited his motives.

Magu was accused of embezzling the interests accruing from a total N500bn recovered loot amongst other things after reportedly falling out with Malami over the sale of recovered properties to cronies.Malami's closeness to Buhari meant Magu had to make way.In a manner that appeared more a ploy to keep it all 'behind the curtains',he was brought before a Presidential Panel chaired by Justice Ayo Salami (Rtd) which recommended his prosecution.

Magu may have been corrupt but he would definitely have a lot to say about what he helped Buhari and other members of his government do.They wouldn't want that so Magu has been left in peace with all that they themselves agreed he stole.

N140BN NDDC FRAUD...THE MIC IS STILL OFF

The popular verdict on the NDDC probe embarked upon by National Assembly is that those pointing fingers have 3 each pointing back at them so it is in everyone's best interest that the matter is left to wither away.Godswill Akpabio was recruited in time to play a key role for Buhari in the 2019 presidential elections; he was there to provide a basis for Buhari's outrageous triumph in an entire 2 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom state.

A lot of people say the President has left the NDDC matter for Akpabio (who is being accused of erecting a fence for N300M) to handle.He also happens to know how members of both houses from the Niger Delta solicited and got contracts from NDDC they never executed.Uniting their interests and burying the hatchet at the expense of Nigerian taxpayers' was the best way out for them.Sen.Peter Nwaoboshi, the Chairman of the Senate committee on NDDC who sensationally cast the first stone at Akpabio, decamped to the APC just days ago.Speaker of the house,Femi Gbajabiamila said shortly after the NDDC boss' fainting theatrics that his presence would no longer be required.

Nigerians were told probes would resume as soon as the NASS returned from vacation,nothing has been done till date.

Sums totalling more than N140 bn have being left in the hands of these people who haven't been arrested talk more prosecuted.Nigerians are supposed to just sit and watch Buhari borrow more trillions in their name to be stashed away.God help us.