Super Eagles player, Olanrewaju Kayode has dragged his wife, Ezinne Dora before an Abuja High Court to seek dissolution of their union, citing irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.

Additionally, Kayode is demanding N1 billion in damages from the founder of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC Nation), Tobi Adegboyega, for emotional trauma, financial loss, and loss of goodwill due to an alleged adulterous affair with Ezinne.

The plea, detailed in a cross-petition dated July 1, follows months of public accusations between Kayode and Ezinne who got married since 2013 but have accused each other of infidelity, fraud, and domestic violence.

Ezinne initially filed a petition on March 20, alleging that Kayode had made baseless accusations of infidelity and witchcraft against her and her mother, and attempted to evict her from their matrimonial home.

She sought the dissolution of their marriage and custody of their three children.

In his cross-petition, Kayode asserted that Ezinne had multiple affairs throughout their marriage, naming her and Adegboyega as respondent and co-respondent, respectively.

He alleged that Ezinne conspired with an ex-lover, Ugochukwu Igboanugo of Zloc Constructions Limited, to seize control of property documents from his business ventures.

“The Cross Petitioner personally paid for several choice properties and instructed the realtor to prepare the transfer documents in the name of the Company DE-J-S Concept Limited,” the court document states.

“Unknown to the Cross Petitioner, the Respondent has connived with the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo and collected all the property documents and has been solely and personally collecting rent proceeds from the properties, expending same on her amorous relationship with the Co-Respondent to the Cross Petition.”

Kayode further claimed that Ezinne spent the rental income from these properties on her relationship with Adegboyega and has neglected the educational and mental well-being of their children, engaging in romantic and sexual discussions in their presence.

The Super Eagles player has also requested the custody of their children, asserting that Ezinne is unfit due to her alleged actions.

The court has adjourned the case to September 24, 2024, for further hearing.

The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has warned tertiary institutions in the country, particularly universities, against giving admission to underage students.

Speaking on Tuesday in Lagos at the opening of the seventh biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, Oloyede warned that such an act is illegal.

He also cautioned that apart from underage admission, all other forms of illegal admission must also be stopped.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders,” the JAMB Registrar said that for the sake of accountability, data protection and integrity of the nation, this act needed to stop because anything that was irregular was illegal.

He also recounted an experience involving a 15-year-old pupil who applied for a postgraduate course outside the country.

“About two months ago, I received a letter from an European country to confirm if a student actually graduated from a particular university because she is 15 years old and applied for postgraduate course.

“They question they asked me is “Is this possible in Nigeria.

“I had to call the Vice Chancellor of the institution and he confirmed the student graduated from the university but was not admitted by JAMB.

“He had to include that he was not the VC at the time the student was admitted,” Oloyede said.

Oloyede also warned against the illegal admission of diploma students.

“Also illegal admission of diploma students needs to stop because last year, we admitted 9,000 diploma students; I was alarmed that about 3,000 students came from a particular university.

“Everyone of us should be accountable because all these acts can damage our education system,” Oloyede said.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Tuesday announced the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

The President announced while inaugurating the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

But President Tinubu did not mention the name of the Minister for the new ministry as it is expected that he has to forward the name to the Senate for screening and confirmation if it’s a new nominee.

Present at the Inauguration were the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila amongst cabinet members.

Recall that President Tinubu on 15th September 2023, approved the establishment of the Presidential Committee dedicated to the reform of the livestock industry and the provision of long-term solutions to recurring clashes between herders and farmers in the country.

The setting up of the committee was a sequel to the submission of a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria.

The Ministry of National Defense of Niger and the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday the end of the first phase of the withdrawal of U.S. forces and equipment from Nigerien territory.

The announcement was made at the signing ceremony of documents transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey.

Transferring American rights to the Nigerien army at Air Base 101 in Niger’s capital of Niamey was in the presence of American ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon and other civil and military personalities of the two countries.

According to Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou, the chief of staff of the Niger Army, the agreement calls for the removal of all American military assets in Niger.

The agreement calls for the removal of all American military assets in Niger “including those in Niamey, Agadez, Ouallam and Diffa by Sept. 15.”

After removing forces and equipment from Air Base 101, the United States will focus on withdrawing from Air Base 201 in Agadez City.

“Nigerien and U.S. officials will work to ensure a safe, orderly and responsible withdrawal,” he added.

American troops had announced their official departure from the African nation by Sept. 15.

The Foreign Minister of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, has reaffirmed his nation’s decision to permanently withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Naija News reports that leaders from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have decided to depart from ECOWAS earlier this year, establishing their own confederation on Saturday.

A day after the leaders of ECOWAS gathered in Abuja, they selected the presidents of Senegal and Togo to facilitate discussions with the three countries in the Sahel region.

However, amid attempts at reconciliation by the organization, Diop expressed opposition to the idea of requiring visas for citizens of the three nations to travel within ECOWAS.

It is worth noting that the decision of the three nations to leave ECOWAS was partly motivated by their belief that France was interfering with ECOWAS’ operations and not offering sufficient assistance in the fight against jihadist groups.

Diop, however, mentioned Mali’s willingness to continue working with ECOWAS during a late Monday interview on the state-run ORTM.

“Our heads of state were very clear in Niamey when they said the withdrawal of the three countries from ECOWAS is irrevocable and was done without delay, and from now on we must stop looking in the rear-view mirror”, Diop said on Monday.

He added that Mali remains “open to working with our neighbours and other organisations with which we share this space.

“We will have to maintain discussions with others in order to move forward, but I believe that the path we have embarked upon is not reversible.”

Diop stressed that the creation of a confederation was only one stage of the process, adding that “the vision is to work towards a federation of the three states”.

ECOWAS has indicated that the three nations are required to adhere to a one-year deadline for their departure, yet the juntas assert that their exit is imminent and will occur without any postponements.

This move has sparked worries about the impact on the region’s ability to freely trade and travel.

“If visas are re-introduced, we will be proven right in the sense that some ECOWAS officials have not abandoned the old methods of frightening and blackmailing people”, said Diop.

“In an integration process, there are gains and losses for everyone, but we must work to minimise the impact on our populations”, he added.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has done well in Nigeria, and that the current economic challenges in the country is what is being experienced globally.

Naija News reports that the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) stated this when he led governors elected on the platform of the APC on a visit to the Abdullahi Ganduje’s led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party in Abuja.

“The truth of the matter is that the APC has done very well in Nigeria. What is happening currently, is a global economic problem. We in Nigeria, under our own leadership, President Bola Tinubu is also bringing out policies to ensure, given the kind of economy he met, given the kind of situation he saw when he came, he has started the treatment and by the grace of God, I am very confident that very soon Nigerians will be jubilant about how he has managed to navigate the waters”, said Uzodinma in Abuja.

Speaking on other matters, Uzodinma, who said he has at the party’s National Secretariat to touch base with its leadership, boasted that APC will win the forthcoming Governorship election in Edo state as well as retain Ondo state.

Addressing the Ganduje-led NWC, he said: “We are here, you know, of course, we are governors of APC. APC produced us, and we are in Abuja for a meeting; of course, in obedience to the concept of party loyalty, we have to visit the Secretariat to touch with the leadership of the party, chairman and members of the National Working Committee and above all, commiserate with the chairman who also lost his mother-in-law; and also show solidarity with the chairman and managers of our party.

“Those who are serving us, the national leadership of our party, providing service, they are managing our party day to day, they are looking after the policies of the party, they are in charge of the administration of the party, and of course, we members of the party and also critical stakeholders are committed to following and encouraging them as a way of showing support, and that is solidarity.

“Of course you know, I am the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum PGF and when I speak, I speak on behalf of my colleagues, 20 governors. A party like APC, which is in control of 20 states out of 36 and also has produced a President and members of the Federal Executive Council, is the majority party, and if an election is a game of numbers, it means the majority will win.

“On the 20th of this month, the National Campaign Council will be inaugurated in Edo State, and it is expected that most of us, members of the Progressives Governors Forum, will be in attendance. Which other party can provide or boast of such an asset, politically speaking? So, we don’t need to overflog the horse.”

Naija News reports that Uzodinma was in company of the Cross River Governor, Bassey Otu; Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and their Ekiti State counterpart, Abiodun Oyebanji.

On his part, Ganduje, on behalf of the NWC, passed a vote of confidence on the APC governors, assuring that their interests are well protected by the national leadership.

The former Governor of Kano State urged the party chieftains to continue to make APC proud.

Ganduje stressed that the party leadership will continue to maintain a cordial relationship with the governors.

He said: “There is no doubt, we were highly when I got the information that they were coming. So, I think it is a blessing, a big blessing to us. We are so happy about it and we have confidence in them.

“We will do all it takes to ensure that we maintain good relationship with our governors all over the country and we will help to protect their interests and there is no doubt that they are also assisting the party, they are making the party to be proud as an institution.”

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a high-level investigation into allegations that International Oil Companies (IOCs) are attempting to undermine and destabilize the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.

In a letter dated July 1, 2024, addressed to the President via his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the unions demanded that the findings of such an investigation be made public to ensure transparency and maintain public trust.

Signed by NUPENG General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale and PENGASSAN General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the letter stated, “The leadership and members of our unions deeply appreciate your commitment to restoring economic growth and prosperity in our nation. We are fully mobilized and committed to supporting all your initiatives toward these goals.

“However, we are deeply concerned and shocked by allegations from the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company about a deliberate plot by some IOCs to frustrate their business efforts and continued existence.

“These alleged sabotaging actions include denying the refinery crude oil supply and artificially inflating crude oil market prices, forcing Dangote Refinery to source crude oil from other countries, including the United States, resulting in high operating costs and logistics.

“The Dangote Refinery is a critical national asset and a beacon of hope for our energy security, economic growth, and employment opportunities. The economic benefits of a local refinery with such capacity cannot be overstated.

“For decades, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have campaigned for Nigeria to require companies benefiting from Joint Venture (JVC) arrangements to establish refineries or petrochemical companies in Nigeria. Unfortunately, successive governments have lacked the political and patriotic courage to adopt this pragmatic policy.

“The survival of companies that have invested heavily in refining crude oil in Nigeria, thus saving the nation from wasteful product imports that profit other countries and cost us foreign exchange, should be of great national interest due to the enormous economic benefits involved.”

The unions outlined their demands as follows:

1. Immediate Investigation: The Federal Government should establish an independent panel to investigate the claims of sabotage by some IOCs. This investigation should be comprehensive and transparent, ensuring that all parties involved are held accountable.

2. Public Disclosure: The findings of this investigation must be made public to ensure transparency and maintain public trust. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about the actions of these IOCs and their impact on national interests.

3. Legal Action: Should the allegations be substantiated, the government should take decisive legal action against the entities involved, including sanctions, penalties, and other measures to deter future economic sabotage.

4. Support for Dangote Refinery: The government should provide all necessary support to ensure the uninterrupted commencement and operation of the Dangote Refinery, including security and stability around its operations.

“Your Excellency, we trust in your courage and unwavering commitment to the Nigerian project and believe that the Presidency will take decisive action to safeguard the Dangote Refinery and ensure its successful operation for the nation’s benefit. Protecting our national assets is our collective responsibility. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the letter concluded.

Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $16.5 million and ₦127 million, which were illicitly diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the federal government.

This order was granted following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Sulaiman I. Sulaiman. The EFCC stated that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Previously, on May 23, 2024, Justice Ogundare had issued an interim forfeiture order for the funds. This decision was made upon an Exparte motion under the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act and the Nigerian Constitution. The court directed the EFCC to publicize the interim order, which was done on June 6, 2024.

During the final forfeiture hearing, EFCC counsel Suleiman confirmed compliance with the court’s directive to publicize the interim order. The EFCC’s submission included the interim court order and the publication in The Punch newspaper.

Justice Ogundare, after reviewing the submissions, granted the final forfeiture as requested by the EFCC.

The EFCC’s investigation revealed that the funds were initially requested by NIMASA in 2013 for security projects. However, a significant portion of the funds was fraudulently diverted by individuals using various companies. These funds were converted to dollars and used for personal purposes without rendering any service to NIMASA.

The investigation led to the recovery of $16,500 in cash and the agreement by Uche Obilor, one of the key figures involved, to return ₦118 million through drafts made to the EFCC.

Despite the court’s directive for interested parties to come forward, no one contested the forfeiture. Consequently, the court proceeded with the final forfeiture, deeming it in the interest of justice.

The EFCC emphasized that the funds are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and affirmed the court’s authority to order their forfeiture.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has called out President Bola Tinubu over the worsening economic conditions in Nigeria.

According to George, despite all the promises and theoretical declarations from the government about cushioning the effect of the harsh economic conditions on Nigerians, the people are not feeling any respite.

He added that from the richest to the poorest, no one is left out in the challenges being encountered as a result of the policies of the Tinubu government, which include fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira.

The PDP chieftain, who spoke on Monday about the economy during an appearance on Channels Television, submitted that the people need to see results and not just talks and promises, but the economic policies of the Tinubu government look like they will take centuries to bear fruit.

The former military Governor of Ondo State charged President Tinubu to invite the leaders of the top banks in Nigeria, whom he accused of mismanaging the economy, to account for their actions instead of appointing them to manage the same economy or give advice on the same economy they destroyed.

George emphasized that the one-year grace given to President Tinubu to understudy the situation of things in the country is over, and what is expected from him going forward is only results.

See the video.

This year, 2024 is clearly the year of democratic elections, the. year that democracy is put to the test in virtually every continent of the world – at least 97 elections worldwide and so far, we have witnessed and reported some of the significant ones - India, the world’s most populous country which ran an election for 44 days, with over one million voters, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Mexico, Russia, Iran, European Parliament, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, Britain, and here in Africa, we have Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, Rwanda, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, Mauritania, Namibia; in the Americas - Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Belize, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Uruguay, United States. We also have - Finland, South Korea, Thailand, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Belgium, Georgia, Hungary, Finland, Italy, Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and so on and so forth. 

Nigeria held its own general elections in 2023, producing President Bola Tinubu as winner. For reasons owing to consanguinity or proximity, or shared historical affinity, or simply comparison, Nigerians have found themselves having to compare their own experience of democratic rule – 25 years of unbroken democratic rule since 1999 and the general elections in Nigeria in 2023. Most of the comparisons to put the matter in context, are with Senegal, South Africa, and now Britain, where a new Prime Minister, Labour party leader, Sir Keir Starmer has assumed office and power, and the Conservatives have packed out of Downing Street.  The reference to Britain is understandable: Britain used to be Nigeria’s colonial master, Everything Nigerian is linked to Britain, our common law heritage, history, culture, including the artefacts that the British stole from our people. 

For more than two centuries, Nigeria and Britain have been linked almost umbilically. There is hardly any family or community in Nigeria that does not have any relative, immediate or distant, in the United Kingdom. In the just concluded election in the UK, there was even a Yoruba Political Party, with a Dr. Olusola Oni running for MP from Peckham on July 4. A total of 30 persons of Nigerian descent who may identify as British-Nigerian made a bid to be in the British parliament. In the end about six of them won election into parliament including Chi Onwurah (Labour MP for Newcastle Central and West), Kemi Badenoch (re- elected as Conservative MP from Saffron Walden and the past  immediate Business Secretary), Kate Osamor (Labour MP from Edmonton and Winchmore Hill since  2019, now re-elected); Florence Eshalomi (Labour MP since 2019, now representing Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, Taiwo Owatemi (Labour MP from Coventry West), and Bayo Alaba (MP, Southend East and Rochford). These Nigerians in Diaspora are not alone, there are many others serving as Councillors, or Mayors, not just in Britain, but across Europe and as far as Canada, the United States and Australia. Those who are not in politics, are doing well in sports or business and other professions, all linked to their motherland by blood and ancestry, and legitimately, we are proud of them. What is proven is that “Nigeria no dey carry last” and the ones who project us brilliantly like Bukayo Saka and Kemi Badenoch deserve to be celebrated, for showing that although Nigerians these days talk about the “Japa syndrome”, the Nigerian DNA has excellence in its imprints. 

However, the temptation to review the British election, and compare it has been strong and compelling. Whereas it can be said that the British democracy is one of the oldest in the world dating back to the Magna Carta, in 1215, the creation of the British Parliament in 1707, the Reform Act of 1832, the Representation of the People Act of 1918, and the UK General Election of 1950 pointing to a long history and tradition, with tested institutions, democracy in Nigeria has been relatively new, but the key argument about the government of the people for the people and by the people is that democracy is a symbol, a standard and a system of politics which does not require a reinvention of the wheel. Democracy in modern times is certainly not about the Age of Methuselah, but the values that each country presents as its own standards. This therefore explains some of the observations that Nigerians have made, by way of public education, and self-derision perhaps, about the 2024 UK elections.  The July 4 general elections in the UK has been two years in the making with people predicting that the way the Conservatives were carrying on, they were bound to lose the next general elections to Labour, even if no one could predict the exact date until some gamblers around the Rishi Sunak circle and the Conservative party were found to have placed bets on July 4, and as it turned out former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced July 4. The furore over the gambling over the date spoke to the moral content of British politics. In the course of the campaigns, the debate was about issues that are of interest to the British people: immigration, taxation, housing, public spending, NHS, Brexit and the EU. The character of the front-runners was clear. Starmer is pro-business, pro-reforms, pro-EU. He promised to drive economic growth, invest in green energy, overhaul the NHS, create safer streets, and deliver opportunity through a new skills agenda. The Tories had been in power for 14 years, with five Prime Ministers – David Cameron (2010 – 2016), Theresa May (2016 – 2019), Boris Johnson (2019 – 2022), Rishi Sunak (2022- 2024) with the most disastrous of them being Liz Truss who was PM for a historically short period of 49 days. The Tories presided over austerity, Brexit, the pandemic and high inflation. The people got tired of them and this was reflected in the various Polls – YouGov and Ipsos ahead of July 4, indicating that the British people wanted change. They were tired of the chaos that the Conservatives had introduced into public life.  The party itself was divided down the middle with many key members defecting either to Labour or to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. It was certain that the Conservatives were on their way out, and that was exactly what happened, the party’s worst result in its 190-year history was announced on July 5. It wasn’t exactly a wipe out, but the scale of the landslide that the Labour party recorded was their best performance since Tony Blair entered Downing Street in 1997, and the Tory’s worst performance in recent history.

The character of the election race and the outcome is remarkably different from what we have seen in Nigeria and what obtains in the United States which goes to the polls on November 5. The UK election was for six weeks. There was no time to waste. In the United States, the race can take up to two years of campaign. In Nigeria, so much time is taken up by the time table of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voter registration, voters register, delineation of wards and polling unit. In the UK, nobody heard of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and there was no debate over polling units or wards. The British did not have to borrow and sell property to raise funds for political campaigns. Political advertising on radio and TV is restricted, and the spending limits on advertisement are strictly controlled. The American election is a bit more elaborate and expensive, but not the British.  Even at the height of the campaign in the UK, with Rishi Sunak being pushed by his allies to launch personal attacks on Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage, still there were no absurd diversions into personality attacks, insults and culture wars. If Rishi Sunak had been a candidate in a Nigerian election, he would have been told stories about how he came to England and how he is able to make it in life because he is married to a rich man’s daughter! There were no professional spokespersons fighting proxy wars in the media and claiming to know everything about almost everything. The British do not do God. There were no clerics offering predictions about who the eventual winner would be. The candidates were not going about proclaiming “God bless Britain”. There was no attempt to bribe God. 

In Nigeria, election time is boon season for clerics who distort the process with all kinds of dreams and visions, and shamanists who perform rituals and place sacrificial offerings at crossroads. Age was not an issue in the UK either. Sunak is 44. Starmer is 61. Age is a big issue in the forthcoming US elections but in the UK, the youngest candidate and elected Labour MP from Northwest Cambridgeshire is a certain Sam Carling, a 22-year-old Science graduate of Cambridge University – the first MP in British history to be born in the 21^st Century. He defeated Shailesh Vara with 39 votes. Vara had been in the Commons since 2005. Carling is now “Baby of the House” but the very confident Carling says his age is not an issue- he had been a Councillor before now and he knows his example will inspire other young people, but he wants to get on with the job. He has ideas he wants to pursue in parliament. I laugh in original vernacular. In Nigeria, he would not even have been allowed to buy a nomination form. He would have been advised to go and play with his mates.  

On election day, voting started at 7 am and ended the same day at 10 pm. By the following morning, all the votes had been counted and the result was in the public domain with Labour winning 412 seats, Conservatives – 121 (much better than the 61 that had been predicted; Lib Dems –72, Reform UK – 5 (a big gain for the Nigel Farage-led party), Scottish National Party -9, Plaid Cymru – 4; Green – 4: more or less a strong showing by the smaller parties. By Friday, July 5, Rishi Sunak tendered his resignation. Starmer was invited to Buckingham Palace and asked to form the new government and by evening a Cabinet had been announced.  Such a smooth, seamless transition is not possible in Nigeria. On election day in the UK, there was no such thing as the late arrival of voting materials. There were no BVAS machines or stories about technical glitches. No thugs on the streets. 49 million voters, 650 constituencies, turn-out of 60% and yet no policemen or soldiers at polling stations. No stories that touched the heart about voters’ cards: to vote in the UK, you only need a photo ID showing that you are of age. Nobody has gone to court to challenge the results. Even the persons who lost their seats in parliament like former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan and Penny Mordaunt - 175 Tory MPs- have accepted their loss in good faith. There has been no post-election throwing of tantrums in the UK because the institutions function, and the people understand what it means to live in an organized society. Nobody has had to wait for months before a cabinet would be announced. The very day that Keir Starmer assumed office work started; what we have seen is a clockwork relay race, indicating the efficiency of the British model. For the first time in British history, a woman – Rachel Reeves is Chancellor of the Exchequer. There are other high profile women in the cabinet as well: Angela Rayner is the new Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and communities. Yvette Cooper is Home Secretary. Lisa Nandy – Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Pat McFadden is Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In all, a total of 11 women Ministers. It is the most gender-balanced cabinet in UK history, relatively youthful and experienced but largely White. There has been no quarrel over the appointments. Nobody has protested that his or her constituency has not been represented. There have been no thanksgiving services in churches or notices to that effect nor has anyone placed congratulatory adverts in the media.  We have not heard that the King or his sons had a hand in the appointment of Ministers. 

After every election season in Nigeria, we tend to spend months agonizing over the outcome of the elections, with politicians and their lawyers seeking to win the election at the courts of law. Nobody trusts the process; every politician becomes an emergency lawyer. Our democracy is significantly court-determined. But what we have seen in Senegal, South Africa, India. Iran, Britain, and even just over the weekend, in France, is that it is possible for democracy to work. Some commentators have suggested that in seeking a solution to the contradictions in the Nigerian system, there should be electoral reform every cycle, but it would appear that the problem is not the complexity of the democratic process itself but the underdeveloped nature of Nigeria’s political machinery and the character of the people themselves. Democracy is seen as a form of coronation in Nigeria which grants access to public resources and other privileges. This is why when our leaders get to power, they seem to be more interested in exotic vehicles, choice accommodation, yachts, brand new aircraft, chieftaincy titles and fat security votes. 

Last Friday, Sir Keir Starmer, the 58^th Prime Minister of the UK, promised the people of the United Kingdom that he will lead a “government of service” on a mission of national renewal. Times will tell as they say, but whatever happens the British desired change, they have voted for it and now, they have it. In Nigeria, one year after the general elections, Nigerians are still wondering what happened to their country.