Few public figures in Nigeria generate as much controversy as Sheikh Gumi. Mention his name in any discussion about banditry and kidnapping, and strong opinions quickly emerge. Yet, amid all the criticism directed at him, many Nigerians are overlooking what may be his most important contribution: his ability to communicate...
The spirit of June 12 demands more than political speeches and ceremonial celebrations. It demands accountability. It demands transparency. It demands leadership rooted in integrity and public service. It demands institutions that are stronger than individuals and laws that apply equally to both the powerful and the powerless.
The primaries of 2027 have shown us the rot. They have exposed the contempt with which the political class holds the Nigerian people. They have revealed the fragility of our democratic institutions. But they have also given us clarity. We now know what we are up against. We now see...
Taken together, these realities suggest that the Nigerian state, for all its defects, has been the framework within which deeply fragmented societies have managed to coexist. Its collapse would not usher in a romantic era of ethnic harmony; rather, it would likely revive old rivalries, harden dormant fault lines and create new theatres of...
The primaries of 2027 have shown us the rot. They have exposed the contempt with which the political class holds the Nigerian people. They have revealed the fragility of our democratic institutions. But they have also given us clarity. We now know what we are up against. We now see the enemy of democracy, and it is not some foreign invader. It is the corruption within our own house, the willingness of those who should know better to look away while the house burns. INEC, the nation is watching. Nigerians are waiting. Will you be the guardian of our democracy or its gravedigger? Will you enforce the law, or will you bow to the powerful? Will you tell the truth about these primaries, or will you help bury it?
Taken together, these realities suggest that the Nigerian state, for all its defects, has been the framework within which deeply fragmented societies have managed to coexist. Its collapse would not usher in a romantic era of ethnic harmony; rather, it would likely revive old rivalries, harden dormant fault lines and create new theatres of conflict. It is therefore misleading to portray Nigeria’s unity as a project sustained primarily for the benefit of the North, or as a lifeline without which the North would collapse. Such assumptions do not withstand historical or empirical scrutiny.
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