Azu Ishiekwene

an image merge of the osun 2026 governorship election candidates

Osun Decides: From Dance Steps to War Footing

politics /

The state of the living spring now looks like the Strait of Hormuz. And it’s not just the arrival of generals, henchmen and supporters of the major parties that put Osun on a war footing. On Wednesday, a bank source told me that none of the branches in Lagos could pay out up to N5 million in cash. Politicians are raiding the banks, and Osun is floating on a dead sea of money, spooking fears that those who survive the bullets may also have to resist being buried in slush funds

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an image of two AEDC workers standing on ladders, installing meters

AEDC: What It Takes To Get A Meter

Human Interest /

“After our complaint went unanswered for the first two or three weeks of February, we went to the top. We reached out to the MD, one Mr. Chijoke Okwuokenye, who seemed quite eager to help. If you’re familiar with Nigerian big men, especially public-sector-minded ones, and you think seeing them is hard, wait until you ask them to perform a service. There’s nothing they love like shoving you off to a subordinate who they know will exhaust you faster than a balloon on needles. The MD didn’t disappoint…”

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prof ishaq oloyede

What Ishaq Oloyede’s Tenure Says About JAMB

Human Interest /

JAMB wasn’t sick. It was dying and becoming so irrelevant that those it was supposed to serve were wishing it dead. JAMB was not just a problem; it had become the problem of gaining admission to higher institutions, with heartbreaking stories of thousands of candidates for whom hard work and good WAEC grades no longer seemed to matter. Beating the system became the sport, and fraudulent coaches, often assisted by JAMB insiders, established “miracle centres” with large signboards offering hallelujah promises of how to pass your exam without sitting for it. We can smile now, but believe me, it was not a laughing matter

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an image of 5 UK Prime Ministers

Collapse After a Landslide: Starmer’s Fall May Not be The Last

International Affairs, politics /

“When politicians campaign, their poetry distorts our common sense, and we’re seduced by the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, it might be different this time. But Starmer knew there was not much he could do…Already, Burnham is making expensive, even extravagant promises that may come back to bite him. At this rate, he may well not be the last prime minister before the general election in 2029”

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a collage of various FIFA 2026 World Cup moments

Unusual Moments In the World Cup

Human Interest, Sports /

“With over two more weeks of football still to play before the finals, the FIFA president, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, must be very pleased at the event’s success so far, despite initial doubts by those who thought his cosy relationship with US President Donald Trump, almost akin to Trump-olatry, could spoil the games. The tournament has so far offered stories on several levels, all at once: good football, major upsets, compelling human moments, and dramatic fan culture”

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AI generated illustration of a man and woman standing at a Nigerian newspaper stand with varying headlines.

Unusual Moments In the World Cup

Human Interest, politics /

“I’m not sure Minister Mohammed or the DG SS still remembers that the same mainstream press they’re calling on for restraint (including this writer), also called President Goodluck Jonathan’s government clueless and incompetent, mainly because of that government’s ability to tackle insecurity. And that Jonathan’s successor, Muhammadu Buhari, an army general and patron saint of the APC, didn’t do much about insecurity either. Now, the shoe is pinching where it hurts.”

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an image of a man in silhouette approaching the US Border

They’re Coming to America

International Affairs, Lifestyle /

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially given my very strong views on some of Trump’s actions for which I have no apologies. Will it still be the same America that was warm towards visitors, friendly to strangers and generous in spirit? Or is the country now overcome by ferocious meanness, fear of otherness and narrow-minded insularity?…I walked off the Lufthansa plane at Houston International Airport on the morning of June 10, towards border security, unsure what to expect; that feeling you get approaching the yard of a once-dependable friend who has lately become the neighbourhood bully”

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kidnapped girls and apc primaries crowd

A Party for Nigeria’s Latest Abductors

Human Interest, politics /

“That politicians can still manage to hold primaries in the midst of a worsening wave of horrendous attacks on communities and kidnappings in parts of the country, not to mention the economic hardship, suggests we must be living in different worlds…winning the party’s ticket is one thing, but more important, having a country in which to contest the election and govern is quite another”

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