A simple birthday celebration of one of the organic “Daily Times” icons who arrived on the 7th floor this week, Mr. Ndubuisi James Ugbede and the Minister of Information Alhaji Idris Mohammed Malagi’s remark in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, where he is attending the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2025, provoked a revisit of two old commentaries on this column in 2018 and 2023.

On Thursday this week, (April 10, 2025) at the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iyalla Street, Alausa Ikeja, a remarkable colleague Mr Lekan Otufodunrin and I were guest speakers at a symposium organised in honour of a former Director of Times Journalism Institute (TJI) under the aegis of their Times Journalism Institute’s Alumni Association (TJAA) now headed by Mr Clifford Agugoesi. In a preface to my discussion I had recalled some touchy but significant issues about the iconic “Daily Times” as a strategic national asset and indeed a paradise we lost to curious privatisation of public institutions and agencies that the IBB regime initiated and the Obasanjo civilian administration controversially concluded. Some excerpts from my opening remarks:
‘…I decided to honour the invitation because ‘Journalism’, the World Bank Institute describes as “the best profession in the world” is involved. I am always anxious any time the organic “Daily Times” Group is mentioned. I always remember that monument as one of Nigeria’s national security assets that the ‘militricians’ and politicians destroyed, which has actually diminished the stature of journalism in the most populous black nation on earth. I didn’t mean to haul any missile in the direction of those who curiously sold “Daily Times” anyhow during the Obasanjo administration (1999-2007).
I mean that if the legacy of the iconic Adeyemo Alakija who bought it over from Cecil Kings had not been destroyed by that ill-fated decision to sell the company to those who have reduced it to an online newspaper, even the digital library as a resource alone would have been a money spinner, a veritable stream of income at this time when all the institutions of higher learning and indeed the nation still don’t have any reliable library for institutional memories.

I hope most of us here are aware that even the National Library in Abuja hasn’t been completed about 50 years after Murtala Muhammed proclaimed Abuja as Nigeria’s capital. The capital of the federation will be fifty years old in February 2006 (1976-2006). The library project is still conspicuously neglected near the beautiful National Mosque, overlooking the equally exquisite National Christian Centre. Doubtless, the country would have had recourse to the “Daily Times” Library as our own Congressional Library still generally regarded as the most reliable library in global context. It is one of the critical national assets that have enhanced the powers and the glory of the United States Congress. There is virtually nothing on earth you can’t research at the remarkable Library of Congress. They make a lot of money daily from researchers. That is where you can still get all the copies of the authentic “Daily Times” publications when there was a country…’

It isn’t my pleasure to invoke sad memories of “Daily Times” one of the most influential and indeed most profitable newspapers in the world then. I am quite wary of calling the DTN, a defunct newspaper. I know the consequences in today’s Nigeria where the court (of law) is no longer regarded as ‘the last hope of the common man’. ‘Do not say I told you’ as a corner gossip piece indicated in those days of the best-selling “Lagos Weekend”. Most of the ‘old soldiers’ in the print media, indeed members of the TJAA are aware of the time even the “The New York Times” visited the “Daily Times of Nigeria” for research and orientation. The historic visit is still in NYT’s library. My dear “Daily Times” veterans, this isn’t intended to be a day to read from a piece on the day “Common Sense” died in Africa’s most populous country. I mean this is not a day to read from the book of lamentation on “Daily Times” but a day to celebrate with one of the blessed ‘survivors’ of the organic “Daily Times”, Mr. Ndubuisi Ugbede who just clocked 70. Comrade Ugbede, congratulations on your birthday. It isn’t easy to reach that milestone in this “country of anything is possible” as a former army chief once described our blessed country…It is the Lord’s doing as it is written and so it is marvelous in our eyes. May the good Lord who has blessed you to reach the 7th Floor continue to keep you strong and healthy in His pavilion…!

In a related and relevant development, a report from Las Vegas early in the week indicated that the Federal Government ”Begins Technical Upgrade for Media Organisations, Says Information Minister”. According to the report filed by the ministry from Nevada, “The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has stated that the Federal Government has begun investing in cutting-edge technologies and acquiring state-of-the-art equipment for federal media organisations to ensure effective service delivery. Idris made this statement in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States during discussions with leading broadcast and information companies at the ongoing National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2025”.

The Minister was quoted as saying that such investments would lead to the upgrade and replacement of obsolete infrastructure across radio and television stations owned by the Federal Government. To actualise this, he said, his ministry “is forging partnerships with broadcast equipment manufacturers to avail local broadcasters the opportunity to benefit from emerging technologies and industry-specific training”. The Nigeria’s delegation led by Idris malagi consisted senior officials, including Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos (Director-General/CEO Nigeria Television Authority), Ali Muhammed Ali (Managing Director/CEO of News Agency of Nigeria), Charles Ebuebu (Director-General/CEO of National Broadcasting Commission), Dr. Lekan Fadolapo (Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria), and Jibrin Baba Ndace (Director-General/CEO, Voice of Nigeria). The NAB Show, running from April 5 to 9, 2025, with the theme “The Technology, The Trend, The Future,” provides valuable insights into industry trends, covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence, cloud visualisation, the creator economy, and sports production and streaming.

This is therefore a time to remind the powerful delegation in Las Vegas that the mission the minister has pledged in Nevada is a strategic one but he should not fall into the danger of assumption that investment in digital equipment alone can transform the Nigeria’s public information management system.

It is a fact that the public information management infrastructure has been quite weak and so the superstructure hasn’t been reliable enough to serve the public good expected from them in 21st century where the information ecosystem doesn’t support a ministry of information to drive efficiency of public information in the age of the giants of digital journalism and communications. Although I once suggested here in 2023 that even the federal information ministry should be scrapped to give room for restoration of Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS), this piece isn’t about the quality of the Information Minister and his team. Doubtless, Mallam Idris, a media entrepreneur before joining the federal cabinet, has been generally regarded as one of the most resourceful information ministers since 1999. He doesn’t scream to respond to publications and telecasts that the government doesn’t like. He likes to engage media organisations quietly in resolving even conflicts and controversies.
That is also why we can also suggest a few things to him at this time to look beyond equipment of the public broadcasters he calls “federal government-owned organisations”. They are not federal government-owned, after all. They are public broadcasters that should serve public interest just as the BBC and SABC, Africa, which only the parliaments can ‘regulate’.

As I had noted in 2018 and 2023, again, I would like to suggest restructuring of one of Nigeria’s most significant institutions that successive governments have been competing to ruin: the public broadcasters known as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON).

My interest in these public broadcasters as they should be called, was renewed then (2018) through two related issues involving two Nigerian significant female journalists, Ms Kadaria Ahmed formerly of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Ms Toyosi Ogunseye former Sunday Punch Editor who then joined the same BBC, a very successful public broadcaster. The first was Kadaria’s when she marked her 50th birthday in December 2017 with a colloquium on the state of the media and a book presentation in Lagos. Read the details of the Kadaria story through the links below: https://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/a-time-to-restructure-nta-frcn-and-von/

The two striking stories of Kadaria, Toyosi and the BBC had then set me thinking about the expediency of discussing the rise and fall of institutions in Nigeria. Which was why I am was persuaded then that instead of reading regularly from the book of lamentation on how the military juntas in Nigeria tactlessly seized the then Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS) and changed it to NTA now in focus, we should think of how to rebrand the public broadcasters (NTA, FRCN and VON) now from the ruinous clutch of the federal government. There has been no credit to give to any government since the takeover: no government has added value to the NTA, FRCN and VON. We only pretend that all is well.
And here is the thing, why is it that Toyosi could join the BBC, a public broadcaster instead of a Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS)? How is it that the only reference point is that the FRCN and NTA too made John and Sola Momoh, for instance? And sadly, why can’t Channels television get some values from the FRCN and the NTA that trained its owners some years ago?

The same sad commentary can be extended to the Daily Times and the New Nigerian, among other once prosperous state-owned newspapers such as Daily Sketch, Herald, The Observer, Chronicles, The Tide, The Triumph, The Standard, The Voice, etc, the Nigerian system has destroyed too.

The point really is that all these once fruitful newspapers that have been killed by the Nigerian leaders once made the Dele Giwas, the Doyin Abiolas, the Segun Osobas, the Nduka Obaigbenas, the Doyin Mahmuds, the Ray Ekpus, the Yakubu Mohammeds, the Dan Agbeses, the Garba Shehus of this world. Most Nigerian elders would remember this recent aspect of our history.

In other words, I used to think that the idea of prosperous state-owned newspapers was an idea whose time was long gone until I travelled to Liberia the other day and stopped over in Ghana where I got a copy of the state-owned newspaper the Daily Graphic. As a newspaperman, I didn’t need to ask any question about the quality of the content and production. The newspaper is generally regarded as the most influential and the most commercially successful newspaper in Ghana today.

But note this paradox of history: the well produced daily newspaper in Ghana has some striking similarity in history with our own Daily Times that the military regime seized, ruined before a civilian government sold it in January 2004 to what now looks like an ‘undertaker’ of a national monument.

To be continued…

• Only Two Of 445 Mass Housing Allottees Meet Terms, Conditions
• Right Of Occupancy To Be Lost In 21 Days Without Payment
• Plots Not Developed In Two Years To Be Revoked

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday, rolled out fresh orders on management of land including land allocation and development within the territory.

The reforms, which would become operational from April 21, 2025, cover specific areas like conditions of grant of Statutory Right of Occupancy (R-of-O), contents of the Statutory Right of Occupancy Bill, contents of Letter of Acceptance/Refusal of Offer of grant of Right of Occupancy, titling of Mass Housing and Sectional Interests, as well as regularisation of Area Council land documents.

A significant aspect of the reform is that land allottees now have 21 days from the date of offer to make full payment of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed on offer of Statutory Rights of Occupancy and submit a duly completed Letter of Acceptance alongside evidence of payments or lose the offer.

Also, as against the lengthy period within which to develop allocated lands, the period within which to erect and complete developments on any land granted in the FCT is now two years from the date of the commencement of the R-of-O.

The minister, who disclosed the reforms at a press briefing through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, disclosed that “any R-of-O bills and any other payments made outside the stipulated 21 days shall be considered invalid while any land granted should be developed within two years.”

He added: “On lands previously allocated by Area Councils, the law stipulates that all lands in the FCT are urban lands. It therefore becomes necessary that all land documents issued by the Area Councils are considered for regularisation to statutory titles in line with relevant statutes.”

He lamented that in 2006, the Zonal Land, Planning and Survey offices of the six Area Councils were directed to submit all Area Council allocation lists, layouts, files and registers to Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS)/Lands Department, which they did.

He, however, stated that to date, out of the 261,914 Area Council land documents submitted for regularisation, only 8,287 have been vetted, out of which only 2,358 were cleared, validated and regularised to statutory titles.

“The 8,287 were vetted from 2006 to 2023 (17 years), and this represents just 3.2 per cent of the total land documents submitted for vetting and regularisation. As of today, the FCT Administration is still left with 253,627 submissions in its database,” he said.

The minister further disclosed that “Area Council land documents successfully vetted and confirmed would have statutory titles on such lands issued and the allottees will have 60 days to make full payments of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed failure of which the offers shall become invalid.”

Wike expressed shock that “from the inception of the Mass Housing programme in 2000 till date, out of the 445 Mass Housing allocations granted, only two developers have successfully met the terms and conditions.”

The Mass Housing Programme was initiated in 2000 to utilise the Public Private Partnership (PPP) strategy with the objective of providing affordable housing for residents of the FCT.

According to him, a new operational framework for titling of Mass Housing and Sectional Interests has been developed to fast-track the exercise efficiently, effectively and diligently, in line with the vision to restore confidence in the administration of lands in the FCT.

“Currently, the holders/occupiers of properties within the various Mass Housing Estates in the FCT do not pay bills, rents, fees and charges to the government despite having held and occupied the properties for decades,” he explained.

The minister said that in recognition of the urgent need to issue titles to the beneficiaries of Mass Housing and Sectional Interests, all applications for titling are to be made by the Subscribers/Developers to the Department of Land Administration for processing.

“Processing of titles for Mass Housing and Sectional Interests shall commence on April 21, 2025, in line with the new operational framework,” he said.

[Guardian]

The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, otherwise called Ekklesiyar ‘Yan’Uwa A Nigeria (EYN), has charged President Bola Tinubu and members of the National Assembly to protect Nigeria’s democracy.

President of the EYN, Rev Dr Daniel Mbaya, who made the call at the General Church Council (Majalisa 2025) held at the church headquarters in Kwarhi, said much depends on the leaders to make the country’s democracy work.

“We call on His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to ensure that policies formulated for the good of the masses,” he said, advising the president against executive recklessness.

He asked senators and members of the House of Representatives to ensure that they protect democracy, stressing that such a task is a collective one.

The EYN president added that all authorities should ensure that the press enjoys their freedom.

Speaking on the theme, “A Living Church in a Decaying World,” the guest speaker and a former president of the church, Dr Daniel Dali, advised Christians to be shining light in whatever they do.

He said the task of redeeming Nigeria and the world should involve all well-meaning people.

General secretary of the EYN, Rev James Musa, told newsmen that the event takes place every year which affords the church family to interact, highlight its doctrinal values, celebrate the triumphs of the church, deliberate on its challenges and provide the way forward.

In a message to the EYN Majalisa 2025, the national security adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, enjoined the church to work with the government to ensure enduring peace and security.

“Nigeria has endured deep wounds from various conflicts. The church must lead efforts toward healing, encouraging forgiveness and reconciling broken communities. We must remind all that vengeance belongs to God and peace blossoms where forgiveness is planted,” Nuhu Ribadu said through his representative, Ambassador Kevin Peters.

[Leadership]

With the passing, last week, of one of the two 2nd Republic governors, a former governor of Oyo State, Victor Omololu Olunloyo, Nigerians recall with nostalgia, how eventful the politics of that era was and the characters that shaped the activities of that period.

Olunloyo was one of the politicians of that era that enlivened politics in the Southwestern part of the country and that of the old Oyo state in particular.

Laolu Akande, a spokesperson of former vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said that there is a possibility of external influences in the crisis rocking the Labour Party.

The position of Julius Abure as the national Chairman of the Labour Party is now in contention as quite a number of people do not agree that he is their chairman.

They have shifted their support to the caretaker committee that the party leaders have put in place.

But addressing the press in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgment, Abure insisted that the court affirmed his position as the chairman of the Labor Party.

DAILY POST reported that the LP held its National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday and Abure was not there despite the call by the Caretaker committee of the party that he should shelve his sword and join them.

Abure had warned Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party in the 2023 elections and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti not to convene any National Executive Council meeting.

But they ignored his warning and convened the NEC.

They also proceeded to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to present a certified true copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court, which they said affirmed their stance rejecting Abure as the National Chairman.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Akande said said it was important to speak to Abure that it is required at this moment that he shows a bit of charity to himself for the good of this country.

He said, “The Labour Party, at a point, represented a significant hope. You know, don’t worry whether the presidential candidate went as much as he wanted to, but the Labour Party showed that something new can brew out of this country.

“In terms of politics, you saw a new and vibrant mobilization of the people. It’s good for our country now. Since then and now, we’ve seen how all of that is beginning to unravel.

“What has happened this last week is a renewal of hope in the Labour Party, but Mr. Julius Abure is the only obstacle. And of course, you know people around him who don’t really, just like you said, they don’t form the significant essence of the party.

“Everybody that mattered in that party seemed to have gotten the right memory. Look, the time for Julius Abure is over.

“Now, if you come to the legal part of it, it was Julius Abure that went to court to stop INEC and the party from not recognizing him anymore, because his tenure had elapsed.

“And so the matter proceeded from the High Court to the Appeal, and now the Supreme Court has said it’s not our business. So, that means the matter has reverted to where it was when Abure went to court, which is no longer the chair of the party.

“So it’s just a question of time that Julius Abure is going to fizzle out. What I’m asking him for is a bit of charity. To just do the right thing, keep the remainder of his honour. He can keep it so that he can, he can exit in some dignified sense, because it’s very clear already.”

On why Abure is holding on despite being rejected already, Akande said, “We must also understand that Julius Abure also represents the typical Nigerian politician. So it’s not that Julius Abure is behaving out of context.

“This is how the average Nigerian politician behaves in personal advertisements. That’s the only reason why Abure is still paying for all these tactics.

“Why must you be a chairman of the party after your tenure has elapsed for God’s sake, somebody needs to do Julius a bit of good and call him to his side and say, ‘look, come on. The Labour Party is greater than you.’

“The Supreme Court ruling is very clear. It’s very clear that the Supreme court has rejected the chairmanship of Julius.

“The Supreme Court has said that you cannot be an obstacle. And yet he has the audacity to go out and be talking the way I just don’t understand.”

On if he sees external influences in what Julius Abure is acting out, he added, “It’s not impossible.

“We don’t have any evidence, but, you know, we will not rule it out, you know. But let’s just talk to Abure and say, ‘Look, help Nigeria, because a properly organized Labour Party brings a bit of fresh air. We saw it for the last time. Why is Aburi constituting himself into an obstacle?”

[DailyPost]

If you’re seeking countries that offer accessible work visas in 2025, it’s advisable to research each country’s specific requirements and processing times to determine the best fit for your career goals.

Here are some top destinations known for their streamlined processes and demand for skilled professionals. 

Canada

Because of its reputation for having a diverse and welcoming society, Canada is a popular destination for foreign workers. The nation provides a number of immigration initiatives, including the Express Entry system, which expedites the process of granting skilled workers permanent residency. Canada has a strong economy and a great standard of living, making it a popular choice for international labor.

Germany

Germany is well known for its robust economy and friendly disposition toward foreign workers with advanced degrees. For highly qualified individuals, the nation offers a variety of work visa options, including the EU Blue Card. For those looking for professional opportunities, Germany is a desirable destination due to its strong job market and high standard of living.

Australia

Australia is a desirable option for people looking for work abroad due to its robust economy and high demand for skilled labor. To entice gifted people from all over the world, the nation provides a number of visa options, such as the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa and the Skilled Independent Visa. Australia is a popular destination for foreigners due to its stunning scenery and relaxed way of life.

The UAE, or United Arab Emirates

For foreign workers looking for work in industries like finance, tourism, and healthcare, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a desirable destination due to its tax-free income opportunities and opulent lifestyle. Through programs like the Employment Visa and the Investor Visa, the nation grants work visas, giving foreign employees access to a wide range of employment options in a booming economy.

New Zealand

New Zealand is renowned for its breathtaking scenery and hospitable immigration policies. Through initiatives like the Essential Skills Work Visa and the Skilled Migrant Category Visa, the nation provides work visas, which facilitate foreign workers’ ability to find employment across a range of industries. New Zealand has a great standard of living and welcomes residents, making it a popular choice for foreigners.

[TheNation]

It is difficult to pinpoint when the political gusts turned against the one time political impresario of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta State, Senator Victor Omo-Agege.

The contradiction in the circumstances facing Omo-Agege is the fact that he is being subjected to a social media trial in the hands of those he not too long ago had at his beck and call.

The petition to the state chairman of the APC, Elder Omeni Sobotie accuses Omo-Agege of among others infidelity to the party and betrayal of fellow party candidates in the 2023 General Election.

The accused has yet to give his plea, but many prosecution witnesses who allegedly signed the petition against Omo-Agege have told the social media court that their signatures were forged.

Indeed, Omo-Agege’s political ascendancy in Delta State was crystallised when he emerged as the first senator from Delta Central to win re-election. His feat came following the death of Senator Pius Ewherido, arguably the greatest political disruptor in Delta State who turned the political dynamics against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Delta Central in the 2011 elections.

It is remarkable that since Ewherido’s popular victory in 2011, achieved on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, that the PDP has been at sea on how to reinvent itself in that senatorial district. While Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo finished Ewherido’s impactful term, albeit on the platform of the PDP, the party has since then continuously failed in winning the Delta Central seat.

Omo-Agege’s two terms on the platform of Labour Party and then on the platform of the APC are about the longest stretch an individual has held on to political ascendancy in Delta Central. His emergence as Deputy President of the Senate, the first Delta senator to hold such a position, only strengthened his political confidence or brashness as some critics alleged.

Given his role in undermining the Bukola Saraki Senate during the 8th Senate, it was not surprising that Muhammadu Buhari’s political enforcers not only positioned Omo-Agege for the position of DSP, but also showed him favours that enabled him to swagger with bravado across the political space in Delta.

The constitution of APC structures across Delta State in 2021 by most accounts, was done in Omo-Agege’s bedroom. Given the natural proclivity of many Delta people to speak truth to power it was no surprise that a number of political actors  in the APC refused to be taken in by the lordship of Omo-Agege over the party.

Two of those who swore to that effect were Chief Great Ogboru, popularly known as the Peoples General, but who as Omo-Agege consolidated was almost turned to a recruit in the APC.

Another was the former civil rights lawyer, Mr Festus Keyamo who went to the extent of terming those who emerged as party officials in 2021 across the state as Omo-Agege’s houseboys and house girls.

Given the acrimony that trailed Omo-Agege’s emergence as Numero-uno in the APC, it was not surprising that a number of party officials who despised the fact that he also took the gubernatorial ticket for himself worked against him in the governorship election of 2023.

Among those who openly came out to confess that fact was the late Dr Cairo Ojougboh who claimed being part of the conspiracy of APC leaders who worked against him. Even more, Ogboru who has the national record of contesting gubernatorial elections, despite his abysmal performance in 2023, surfaced for once to congratulate the PDP candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, for defeating Omo-Agege.

The prediction of Omo-Agege’s difficult straits was, however, very visible just before the 2023 election. Days to the governorship election and while still serving as the Deputy President of the Senate, he was shell-shocked when one of his most prominent houseboys, Nick Ovuakporie, who he had promoted the state secretary of the party, surfaced at the PDP governorship rally to denounce him. Ovuakporie’s defection was a masterstroke on the part of the PDP, given that he was allegedly the pointsman used by the Omo-Agege camp to wrest control of the APC from his former rivals.

But the problem for Omo-Agege was compounded by perceived actions he took in the days leading to the election. The charges drawn up against him for which party members have commenced a social media trial of the former DSP include the claim that he hobnobbed with the opposition to betray the party in the presidential election. It is a charge that President Tinubu may not have taken seriously given that Tinubu received the former DSP on his own after party leaders conspired to squeeze him out during the controversial visit to Aso Villa last February.

Whatever, the principal reason antagonists in the APC struck the four point charges against Omo-Agege is their determination not to have him represent the party in the 2027 governorship election. This is well manifested in their charge sheet against the erstwhile DSP.

Whatever, the prospects for Omo-Agege in browbeating his former houseboys are not easy. How he positions himself as the governorship candidate with the prospects of running two terms in Delta State will be a tough nut to crack. That is, given the zoning tradition that has governed the state since 1999.

The last time I wrote about this tragedy which I now call Tinubu’s Terrible Tribalism, I had asked: Is Tinubu settling scores? Because the president’s naked embrace of Yorubacentricism after a lifetime of railing with his kinsmen against Hausa-Fulani hegemony could only have been inspired by vengeance. 

But such undisguised and unbridled vengeance in his first term against the North, whose votes he must secure for re-election, would be foolhardiness. The focus on the North isn’t to understate the treachery other zones feel but to emphasize the political irrationality and moral hypocrisy of  Tinubu’s tribalism. Tinubu might be arrogant and occasionally temperamental, but he is a consummate schemer. The idea that he can allow self-indulgence to blind him to basic political calculations is a little preposterous. So why is Tinubu relentlessly perpetuating a Yoruba hegemony so early in his presidency? 

It’s doubtful even that the mercurial Sunday Igboho, saddled with the responsibilities of a president, would have relegated statesmanship and national cohesion to this extent in pursuit of an apparent ethnic championship. Igboho, being less cunning and presumptuous might have been more sensitive. The reality is astounding, so it bears repeating. All critical instruments of coercion are effectively in the hands of one ethnic group. A Yoruba is president. A Yoruba is the  Chief of Army Staff. Yoruba is the  Police Inspector General.

A Yoruba is the Director General of State Security. A Yoruba is the EFCC chairman. A Yoruba is the Chief Justice of the Federation. A Yoruba is the Attorney General of the Federation. A Yoruba is the Comptroller General of Customs. A Yoruba heads Immigration. The Chief Justice is not the president’s appointee but shouldn’t the Yoruba headship of two of the three arms of government make Tinubu worry about imbalance? Even if the Yoruba had conquered Nigeria, wouldn’t they have been more magnanimous? 

A few commentators have argued that having come to the throne majorly through self-help and against all odds, Tinubu perhaps feels entitled to do and undo. Expanding his Lagos dynasty and imposing it on the entire country might be, for him, his natural progression. But perhaps that portrays Tinubu too much as a Tarzan. However, Tinubu’s politics, read benignly, conceives good governance to be dependent on a guided continuity. For him, democracy means benign Babasopecracy (patriarchal autocracy). It doesn’t matter if it is forced to masquerade and run around as a liberal multiparty democracy.

So what others see as opportunistic self-aggrandizing godfatherism aimed at entrenching a private political dynasty using Yoruba as mere building blocks, he possibly sees as progressive politics. While an obsession for an expanded dynasty coheres with Tinubu’s political history and explains in part his carefree tribalism, nothing in this dynasty concept precludes shrewd calculated inclusiveness. Allowing pliable folks from all parts of the country to occupy critical security positions to hoodwink the populace would have provided a necessary smokescreen. But Tinubu has chosen to be explicit. 

Nigeria has six zones. Yoruba is primarily one zone. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups. Yoruba is only one of them, though it constitutes about 20% of the national population. A Yoruba is the Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy. A Yoruba is the Oil Minister. Another Yoruba is the CBN Governor. A Yoruba is the Minister of Blue Economy. Yet another Yoruba is the Minster of Digital Economy. A Yoruba is the Minister of Solid Minerals. A Yoruba is the Minister of Trade and Industries. A Yoruba is the head of FIRS. A Yoruba is MD Bank of Agriculture. A Yoruba is MD NSTIF.

Another Yoruba is the Accountant General of the Federation. The Yoruba hold the most critical positions, not just in the security and law enforcement sectors but also in the economy. The Yoruba may be the smartest Nigerians, but the gap isn’t this wide. Therefore, any attempt to sell this perfidy as meritocracy is political Yahoo-Yahoo. The abject and comprehensive servility of the National Assembly should be proof to Tinubu that many other Nigerians are as willing as the Yoruba to worship Tinubu, to sing On Your Mandate while lying face down at his feet. If so, why is Tinubu’s  Tribalism so headlong, so relentless? 

While refuting revenge as a motive for Tinubu’s Terrible Tribalism, I had wondered about the virtue of the entire NADECO and Afenifere enterprises of the 90s and early 2000s. Perhaps we had all been deceived into jumping onto a duplicitous wagon for group vendetta or ethnic actualization rather than national liberation. That attempt to interrogate the original authenticity of Afenifere because of the startling repudiation of its core principles by one of its champions provoked the former Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo, who sadly died recently. In response to that article, Adebanjo had disowned Tinubu and disagreed vehemently that Tinubu was promoting any genuine Yoruba interests. He said Tinubu’s tribalism was dangerous cronyism, a patently self-serving adventure by a wolf in sheep’s clothing to turn Nigeria into a one-party state and become its life president. 

In his response to that article, a former minister in the Jonathan administration said he was baffled by the scale of Tinubu’s tribalism which he believed was borne of triumphalism. He wondered why Tinubu was recklessly alienating people of other tribes who were starting to respond by switching off, becoming apathetic, in many government institutions. He wondered how embracing only a section of the Yoruba instead of the entire South would help the president assuming he had something deep-seated against the North and wanted to call it’s bluff.

My response was that besides triumphalism, Tinubu wanted to conscript the Yoruba emotionally to protect and preserve his presidency as a Yoruba project. In addition to their block votes which might compensate for some of the inevitable losses up north, the Yoruba intelligentsia, if pushed into ethnic defensiveness by any indiscriminate anti-Yoruba sentiments by the other groups, could become the formidable and validating voice to legitimise and promote him, his second term ambition, and possibly any life presidency ideas, no matter his performance. In other words, Tinubu could be banking on the benefits of becoming synonymous with Yoruba, arguably the country’s most enlightened clan. 

Many years ago, Tinubu was an apostle of Sovereign National Conference. The SNC, that vehicle of inclusion, was supposed to transport ethnic nationalities to a people-oriented constitution to enthrone freedom, equity, social justice and prosperity in the nation. The SNC was the gbogborise fermented in Yoruba land, which must be administered to Nigeria, or it would inexorably perish. Then, Tinubu had said the cracks in the foundation of the nation demanded a fundamental overhaul. Those days, he regarded the unity of the country as desirable and negotiable rather than inviolable and sacrosanct. Now, Tinubu regards that unity with callous levity. And perhaps any noisy agitation for a Sovereign National Conference now could easily be treated as treason. 

For so many years, Tinubu and his political associates demanded true federalism underlined by resource control and devolution of powers. Those days they seemed the most principled politicians in Africa. They wanted a decentralization to curb the prevalent national ailment. That ailment was stagnation and inequity and the reign of mediocrity. Unavoidably, they wanted an end to Hausa Fulani hegemony. Now  Tinubu is cheerfully concentrating power in the hands of one ethnic group. It has become his obsession. Now, Tinubu no longer remembers the positions and appointments that defined lopsidedness, which made him and his friends cry about Hausa Fulani’s hegemony. They now say all positions are equal. Perhaps Tinubu thinks Nigerians are cows. 

In truth, nobody expects habitually wheeling and dealing politicians to be averse to opportunism or to pass any strict tests of moral hygiene. But Tinubu’s brazen tribalism is confounding. Some say Tinubu has only revealed his true colours. But for some of us who saw some good in him, his industrial-scale tribalism is concerning. Because such crippling myopia could be a consequence of a more fundamental moral depreciation. In multi-ethnic African nations, rabid tribalism is always a recipe for stagnation and instability. Any concentration of power in a single ethnic group is always a disservice to the tribe and country. That Tinubu cannot foresee this ruin is worrisome. That he can, uninhibited by conscience, and with defiance, choose this course is pitiable. 

The United States Embassy has introduced updated visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, effective from April 22, 2025.

In a statement released on Friday, the US mission emphasised that all applicants attending visa interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 form featuring a confirmation barcode that begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes (00). Crucially, this barcode must match the one used to book the appointment online.

Applicants with mismatched barcode information will be denied entry to the Consular Section and disqualified from their scheduled interviews.

“Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online. You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160,” the statement read.

To avoid issues, applicants are strongly advised to verify that their DS-160 barcode matches their appointment information at least two weeks before their interview date.

The embassy also clarified that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be reused. In the event of a mismatch, applicants must log into their AVITS account at least 10 days before the interview and submit a correction request.

“If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number,” the mission added.

Additionally, appointments must be made at the same location indicated on the DS-160 form. Applicants who are turned away due to mismatched barcodes will need to resolve the issue and reschedule a new appointment. If the visa fee has expired, a new payment may be required.

Since January 1, all applicants have also been required to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the visa application process.

[Vanguard]