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By   Anthony Akinola Take it or leave it, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo would forever remain one of the greatest political leaders in the history of Nigeria . He was one politician eulogised and rightly adjudged capable of being a successful Prime Minister of Great Britain by no one other than a former Prime Minister of that historic colonial power. One enviable political attribute of Awolowo was his distaste for rhetoric, preferring to convince his audience about the viability of his proposal. He would go about his proposal like a diligent scholar would go about his or her doctoral thesis-define it, explain it, and defend it. For instance, when Awolowo proposed his idea of free education for the Nigerian federation, he not only explained its benefits, but  also went as far as explaining how what was a gargantuan project to others could be funded.  The type of discipline and belief Awolowo injected into his ideas is conspicuously lacking today. There has been much talk a...

By   Simon Abah There is an alarming rise in organised political defections in Nigeria . Although she is being hyped as the giant of Africa, the democracy in Nigeria is not practised like in countries such as Ghana , Sierra Leone , Botswana , Tanzania , Liberia , Senegal and Zambia with stable democracies.  Nigeria ’s version is a guided democracy and a democracy for the few. *Saraki What are the reasons for the surge in defections? Turncoats complain about the absence of internal democracy in their parties and of political witch-hunt by political gladiators. Do you agree with the beliefs of these defectors? Particularly since no mention is made about the developmental interests of Nigeria as reasons for changing sides. Isn’t it weird to see politicians castigate a political party at sunset only to defect to same party at sunrise? Winston Churchill was once a Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) but he died as a Conservative party man. He never returned to his former party Liberal ...