Power is often imagined as force. It is seen as something loud and visible. A president signs a bill. A governor deploys security agents. A judge pronounces a sentence. Yet power, as the French philosopher, Michel Foucault, taught us, is far more subtle and far more pervasive. It does not only command. It shapes, trains,…
Nigeria’s democracy is again at a familiar crossroads: the point where electoral reform is loudly promised, quietly diluted, and then defended as “procedure.” The new controversy around the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 is not just a disagreement between the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is a test of whether the country’s institutions…
Over the past week alone, more than 80 people were killed across Nigeria, with Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, and Niger States emerging as the worst-affected flashpoints. The dominant threats remain banditry, insurgency, and kidnapping for ransom, with armed groups increasingly targeting civilians, markets, and security formations. #NigeriaKillingsTracker#SahelConflictMonitor#LakeChadInsurgency#NigeriaConflictWatch#AfricaCrisisBrief#ElectionSecurityNigeria#WeeklySecurityBrief In Borno State, insurgents linked to ISWAP and Boko…
Across Africa, a familiar argument is making a comeback. It says our problem is not corruption, weak institutions, or poor governance, but leadership turnover. According to this view, Africa needs leaders who stay longer in power—like Singapore’s founding generation or China’s political elite—to deliver development. It is an attractive argument. It sounds pragmatic. It promises…
Nigeria’s security situation remained volatile over the past week, with fresh developments across multiple fronts — mass kidnappings, deadly ambushes, cyber insecurity, and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the North-East. The most consequential incident remains the mass abduction in Kaduna State, where approximately 177 worshippers were kidnapped during Sunday services at three churches, including ECWA…
Politics is often mistaken for proximity to power. In reality, it is about leverage. Nigeria’s unfolding wave of defections from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) exposes this misunderstanding with brutal clarity. Ahead of the 2027 elections, governors across key regions have abandoned the PDP in large numbers. The…
