faulker002

By Olu Fasan  Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of  Lagos  state, has been thrown under the bus. He will not serve a second term in office not because the people of  Lagos  state rejected him in an election but because his godfather, Bola Tinubu, pulled the plug on his re-election bid. When somebody dies, Christians often say, quoting Job 1: 21, that  “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away” . *Tinubu and Abode    Well, in  Lagos  state politics, Tinubu gives and Tinubu takes away! He is the god of  Lagos  state politics, the lord of the Lagos Manor! In 2007, before leaving office as governor of the state, Tinubu gifted the governorship to his protégé, Babatunde Fashola. Eight years later, in 2015, Fashola didn’t know his place. He too wanted to be a godfather by making one of his own protégés governor of the state against the diktat of his own godfather. But, forgive the colloquialism, godfather pass godfather! Fashola lost out, and ...

By Modiu Olaguro   “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.”— Mark Twain . In the last one month, the eyes of the nation was fixated on Lagos . Like a child’s play, the rumour of the governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, not getting a second term in office began and to the consternation of all, the rigmarole culminated in his ousting in a manner without precedents in the state. The All Progressives Congress (APC), being a party whose modus operandi relate in every way, shape or form with its siamese cousin, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governors ordinarily take their second terms for granted, with the parties throwing the seat at them under the guise of first refusal however bleak a future they may have carved for their respective states. *Jide Sanwo-Olu, Bola Tinubu and Gov Akinwunmi Ambode With this in the know, coupled with the financial wherewithal of Lagos which could make even the least skillful  occupant of the throne claim some glory from t...

By  Sam Ohuabunwa  Many Nigerians will remember the story of the threat which the Oba of Lagos was said to have issued to Ndigbo who lived in Lagos during the 2015 political season. Those who decide what happens in Lagos State were in great panic. They looked into their crystal balls and found that a majority of Ndigbo in Lagos had planned to vote for Jimmy Agbaje of PDP as governor of Lagos . All the political principalities in APC in Lagos went beserk. *Ambode What to do? Oba of Lagos was recruited. He summoned some of the so called Eze Ndigbo in Lagos and issued the infamous threat. They must vote for Ambode of APC or they better be prepared to be thrown into the Lagos Lagoon. It was a desperate situation that demanded desperate action.  Ambode went on to win the election. I do not know if the threat succeeded in frightening the Igbo Lagosians into voting for Ambode in order to stay alife or if it did not. But that threat actually awakened the Igbo, both in Lagos ...

By  Akin Fadeyi While reading the book, Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate by Bob Woodward, something fascinated me.  Richard Nixon, former American President and the man at the centre of the Watergate scandal was on the cusp of political extinction as he faced the most disastrous period of his career. *Ambode  The options for him were limited: One of it was to resign or face a disgraceful impeachment and trial.  Nixon had to decide not just on the resignation, but also how to navigate his exit without going to jail. He would require state pardon from his likely successor, Vice President Gerald Ford.  Nixon summoned his Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig, his right-hand man and a retired Army General for a brainstorm. They decided Haig had to see the Vice President,  Gerald Ford and subtly negotiate Nixon’s post Presidency pardon.  Gerald Ford had very protective aides. One of them was Robert Hartmann, detested and distrust...

By  Reno  Omokri On Wednesday the 29th of August, 2018, British Prime Minister, Theresa May, visited  Nigeria  with a plane full of business people to help  Britain  make money in  Nigeria . So meticulously choreographed was her visit, that she came with businessmen and women that sold or manufactured every item you could imagine from air fresheners to Scotch whiskey. *Buhari  Mrs May, who I met twice last year, demonstrated the main thrust of her visit by travelling with David Schwimmer, the Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange. Her entourage to  Nigeria  was chockfull of business and industry folk and very lean on civil servants and politicians. In fact, only two members of her cabinet joined her on her African trip. If there was any spare space on the Royal Airforce Jet that flew her to Africa, that space was reserved for people who could bring jobs and capital to  Britain. Even  though a day earlier, Mrs May had reg...