bola ahmed tinubu - Azu Ishiekwene

Tinubu-Ruto Banter as Food for Thought

“Kenyans may speak the best English (which I doubt), but the economic challenges they face, which Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alluded to and drew the clap back, are real. The problems won’t be solved just because Kenyans speak in or mimic the late Queen Elizabeth’s mellifluous tone and accent. Ruto and Tinubu must brace for the messy, difficult task of fixing their countries’ economies, a task that is not a respecter of fine language”

Tinubu-Ruto Banter as Food for Thought Read More »

Is there a Backstory to Wale Edun’s Exit?

politics / Azu Ishiekwene

“If the economy is not broken, why remove the finance minister, and how could one of the President’s most trusted men be removed in a press statement that describes his removal as a “minor cabinet reshuffle,” bundling him out with another minister, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, whose name many had barely heard until his sacking was announced?”

Is there a Backstory to Wale Edun’s Exit? Read More »

images of APC adc Atiku obi Tinubu elrufai trump in an orb

What You Might Expect in 2026: A Valedictory Edition

Africa, Economy, International Affairs, politics / Azu Ishiekwene

“From twice forecasting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would lose (2019 and 2023, he’ll lose again in 2027), months before the election, to predicting that at least five ministers would be fired in 2025 (seven were fired), nothing has given me greater pleasure than the Nostradamus-like thrill of watching a situation foretold unfolding”

What You Might Expect in 2026: A Valedictory Edition Read More »

Habits That Disgrace Us Are Not Trump-made

Human Interest, politics / Azu Ishiekwene

“If this was Matawalle’s idea of soft power, or the new meaning of non-kinetic engagement, then he should return to his farm in Bakura. His performance was deserving of nothing less than a caning on the rostrum where he was receiving that salute…The second embarrassment was the departure of the NSA Malam Nuhu Ribadu-led reconciliation team to the US, leaving Nigeria like thieves in the night”

Habits That Disgrace Us Are Not Trump-made Read More »

An image of President Tinubu and senator Ted Cruz on the backdrop of newspaper cutouts of mass shootings in america and a map of mass shootings spread in america

The Log in America’s Eye

International Affairs, politics / Azu Ishiekwene

To describe the attacks in Nigeria as a genocidal assault on Christians is like classifying the regrettable rise in homicidal incidents in the US as a genocidal attack on blacks and minorities. It’s like comparing apples and oranges

The Log in America’s Eye Read More »

Nigeria’s Top Oil Boss Walking into A Trap

Economy, politics / Azu Ishiekwene

Among beneficiaries of the squalid mess – who would also be pleased by another futile round of multi-billion dollar rehabilitation – is a contractor responsible for importing “blend” from Malta, from which the Port Harcourt Refinery produces something like petrol and diesel. This is the trap Ojulari is walking into as he contemplates keeping the refineries.

Nigeria’s Top Oil Boss Walking into A Trap Read More »

Atiku, Not Tinubu, Is the Wrecking Ball

politics / Azu Ishiekwene

If the worst fear of Atiku and the opposition comes through, as is likely, and President Tinubu returns to office in 2027, as is probable, it would not be because of the defections; it would be because Atiku paved the way for the destruction of the PDP. He has proved to be the party’s undertaker-in-chief, something not often said, because it is convenient to blame Tinubu

Atiku, Not Tinubu, Is the Wrecking Ball Read More »

photo collage of seyi tinubu, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, Bashir El-Rufai and Aliyu Atiku Abubakar

Do children of politicians in power make sense?

politics / Azu Ishiekwene

Should blog posts, often typically lacking in depth and context, become the measure of what is truly important and enduring? Do they represent more than what they are – random outbursts of fleeting thoughts from entitled or angry tribes? Or do they teach us something we need to pay attention to?

Do children of politicians in power make sense? Read More »

Rivers State Emergency Rule: A Different View

politics / Azu Ishiekwene

Parallels have been drawn between the state of emergency in Rivers State and the one in 1962 during the Western Region crisis, especially as the latter was believed to have led the country down the slippery slope that eventually ended in the removal of the Tafawa Balewa government and the Civil War. The underlying currents may be similar – local politics gone rogue – but the consequences or potential consequences are not.

Rivers State Emergency Rule: A Different View Read More »

image of the predictions for 2025 represented by an orb

What You Might Expect in 2025

Economy, Human Interest, International Affairs, politics, Sports / Azu Ishiekwene

I forecast that by May 29 or earlier, the president will replace ministers, especially those who have since outlived their IOU value. As pressure mounts ahead of the pre-election year, no fewer than five of them will be replaced or reassigned by the end of 2025

What You Might Expect in 2025 Read More »