Author: Abiodun KOMOLAFE

Democracy is a political paradigm, albeit, with a specific ideological undertone; and the ideological tone refers to the attributes of democracy. Indeed, that distinguishes it from other ideological classifications. Making it simpler, democracy is different from, say, monarchy in that, while the former embraces and encourages all to participate in a political system, the latter is reserved for the privileged family. In other words, it is family-specific, hereditary and it is essentially the government of the few. So, it’s either one belongs or one doesn’t! Lest we forget, the evolution of democracy has its rich history in a rebellion against…

Talking seriously, Democracy as a concept was alien to Africa, and by implication, Nigeria. Largely, right from inception, democratic norms and values were never assimilated and internalised by Africans. At best, its definition and perception were conveniently based on assumptions. So, it meant different things to different people who thought differently! Needless to repeat that there was no conscious effort on the part of the elite leadership – partially or deliberately – to teach the people its real meaning because it was antithetical to the process of maladministration that had gained currency in the land. We need not forget that,…

To start with, election candidacy ought not to be an impromptu decision. For inspiration, we may have to turn to the Western civilization for succour. After all, our social structures and institutions are patterned after theirs. In the United Kingdom, as in other saner climes, young men and women who participate in school politics – and are interested in running governments – are provided with the ample chance to express themselves in an enabling environment; and they follow through till they graduate from these schools. It’s like a recruitment centre; and they eventually form the bulk of the grooming pool.…

The love Nigerians have for Bola Tinubu obliterates the hatred that anybody may possess for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Otherwise, his recent visit to Osun State wouldn’t have been such a huge success. To this end, the immediate past Governor Gboyega Oyetola and other members of the party in the state deserve commendation for the laudable feat of February 2, 2023. Well, the general belief is that politicians will always come up with promises but, at the end of the day, nothing happens. Be that as it may, what Tinubu said in Osun brought along with it a higher…

The sole essence of a man or the sum total of his personality profile is to be located in his character! In Bola Tinubu, as in other humans, the attributes of this character are consistent. Therefore, no matter what the naysayers may say, once one is able to reach him, Tinubu has such a large heart that he gives to people compulsively. Of course, whether he becomes Nigeria’s next president or not, those good deeds are to his credit! Unfortunately, none of the other presidential candidates currently jostling for the key to Aso Rock Villa could come near half of…

Without being immodest, the structure of political campaigns in Nigeria has shown that Bola Tinubu’s dexterity and mastery of the game of politics is actually solid. The organisation of his campaigns, the strategy and the choice of the places he has been going, either for consultations or campaigns; and the responses he has been getting, have all been fantastic. Indeed, these are good signs of a man who actually plans to win. Except one is also stretching the truth, the followership and the enthusiasm with which Nigerians have been thronging the campaign grounds to welcome the All Progressives Congress (APC)…

On January 26, 1998, I authored an article, entitled ‘Lessons from the Dead’, in one of Nigeria’s foremost newspapers. In the piece, I attempted to eulogize the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta for her avowed commitment to the advancement of global development as well as her giving an everlasting face of honour to humanity. As a member of staff of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) later that year, I came to a striking realization that ‘Catholics are made, not born!’ As a writer and public affairs commentator and, much later, as a leading member of the production crew of…

This is the Year 2023! As the New Year comes, it is customary for people to look towards new things. Unarguably, an improvement over the present has always been the desire of human beings. The same goes with nations, which collectively look forward to improving their lots. Just as human beings make predictions, nations also make projections. With a particular reference to Nigeria, to say that her present situation is revealingly appalling is not an overstatement. So, she needs prayers for the cure of her maladies and the betterment of her future! As Nigeria approaches the 2023 general elections, it…

In his book, ‘Emergency Politics: Paradox, Law, Democracy’, Bonnie Honig urges democracies to “resist emergency’s pull to focus on life’s necessities (food, security, and bare essentials).” According to him, “these tend to privatize and isolate citizens rather than bring us together on behalf of hopeful futures.” To start with, it is an undeniable fact that no society develops if and when the forces inhibiting survival instinct far outweighs the idea, fantasy and the pursuit of development. It is also a fact that this has been the bane of Nigeria’s development and her evolution to a nation-state. They are perpetual pulls…

The Resident Pastor and the National Superintendent of Kingsway International Christian Center, (KICC), Pastor Femi Faseru has charged Nigerians to ask politicians critical questions before making their choices in the 2023 General Elections. Faseru made the charge on Saturday in Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State while speaking at the 2022 Diocesan Summit of Ijesha North of the Anglican Communion. The cleric, who incidentally is a son of Ijebu-Jesa, urged Nigerians to critically engage politicians who are vying for one post or the other on how they intend to change the fortunes of the nation, if voted into power. He challenged politicians to…

Jokes apart, I am a fan of Nyesom Wike, the current Governor of Rivers State. He is visionary and a revolutionary. He is also bold and sincere! Like Rauf Aregbesola, the amiable former Governor of Osun State, Wike has the capacity and a bias for action. He is also a listener’s delight! The governor is a role model for how to be a good leader, especially when matters involving politics in a terrain like ours come to the fore. A man with a big tent and a sterner stuff, Wike speaks truth to power without fearing any foe or minding…

There is a need for a society to exist, to be conscious of its existence, and to have a vision. The values of the society determine the type of politics it gets. The type of politics it gets determines the profile and approach of governance obtainable within the given society. And the kind of governance determines whether or not a nation will be built. To put it bluntly, while a society’s vision determines its development, the society dictates the type of politics that is doable, and the kind of governance pattern feasible, because politics is not something that serves itself.…

By nature, development ‘belongs to those who know it, not those who have it or can buy it.’ It is like a picture, which one keeps working on. Parochialism, on the other hand, is a cultural entrapment. It is evil! With it at work, extant philosophies are laced with the cultural sentiment that a people cannot develop beyond their social thoughts. Once the ruling paradigm in the public administration is ‘awa-n-tiwa’, the society is doomed, with the social thoughts and concomitant expectations most certainly not extending the frontiers of knowledge or the ideas of development. Embracing parochialism lends itself to…

One of the greatest shortcomings of Nigeria’s existence is that she has never evolved into a nation. The amalgamation of territories, imposition of the colonial masters, the unfortunate intervention of the military and its attendant maladministration of the civil society, and the corruption-infested politicians have not given the country that opportunity to realize its potential. To be honest, it is because Nigeria’s handlers have different motives and an opposed understanding of the concept of development that her journey to nationhood has remained an illusion. As we know, there is no generally acceptable interpretive understanding of the concept of development. For…

When the history of Osun State is written for posterity, one of the critical areas of intervention where Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s name will be written in gold is education. While other areas of his Midas touch are already in the public domain for inquiring minds to behold, the recently-upgraded College of Education, Ilesa to the University of Ilesa necessitated this piece. On Tuesday, September 27, 2022, Governor Oyetola assented to the law seeking to upgrade the College to a full-fledged institution of higher education. According to the governor, the “carefully conceived as a thoroughly entrepreneurial and innovative” University of Ilesa…

Being a former British Colony, Nigeria had the political misfortune of being bequeathed with a public administration system that was based on a ‘Migrated Social Structure’; and it could not have been otherwise. After all, it’s the only systemic public administration structure known to the British. Consequently, and right from the outset, the tools of public engagement at all levels, in particular, struggled with the norms and values of Nigerians. Absent the domestication of the intrinsic norms, ethics and usage of the colonial administrative system over a period of time, the emergent system acquired a life of its own; deformed,…

Let me start this rather short Tribute by stating that the story of my contact with Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and my eventual employment at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) are already well-documented in the manuscripts of my future book. Let me also confess that this event-filled connection was the culmination of the timely interventions of men like the retired Archbishop Olukayode Akinyemi of the Anglican Archdiocese of Kwara; and Oba Oladele Olashore, the late Ajagbusi Ekun of Iloko-Ijesa in Osun State, in the affairs of my life. When, even with the possession of entry requirements, all hopes of…

The Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has announced October 15, 2022 as the date for Local Government and Local Council Development Area elections across Osun State. According to the Commission, “all the inhibiting factors and circumstances against the conduct of the elections have been ameliorated.” However, the Osun State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to boycott the elections because they would “be wasteful” as well as run afoul of “the provisions of Section 28 of the Electoral Act 2022.” From the look of things, Osun PDP seems to be a lone ranger as other political parties…

When we were growing up, we were treated to the fact that, whether things were convenient or not, elections, globally, were contests; that membership of a political party was a thing of pride; and that, in a contest, ‘you win some, you lose some.’ We were told that, in every contest, a candidate from a pool of aspirants would always emerge; and that, ‘while those who win end up thanking their stars’, losers would always go back home, most likely looking forward to fighting another day. Well, these contextual explanations become necessary, especially when one considers the experiences of the…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)-monitored party presidential primary elections have come and gone and, as the saying goes, the rest is history! With various candidates pushing private agenda, diverse groups’ interests being articulated, and differing institutional preferences already being canvassed, all eyes are now on the 2023 General Elections. In all, interesting times await Nigerians! That said, it is no longer news that, no matter how difficult it is to measure the impact of religion or religious beliefs in politics in Nigeria, it remains contestable in the public domain. However, the interesting thing is that the candidates of the…