Reflections And Tribute To Media Icon, Dr. Doyin Abiola

 

By Richard Ikiebe

Dr. Doyin Abiola, a pioneering figure in Nigerian journalism, passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 82. As one of the first women to break barriers in the male-dominated field, her career spanned decades, marked by bold storytelling, advocacy for gender issues, and leadership roles at major publications. 

Dr. Doyin Abiola 

In light of her recent passing, the following draws from a March 2013 interview she granted to me at the School of Media and Communication studio, offering insights into her life, challenges, and vision for Nigerian media. This transcript, provided in the query, captures her candid reflections and serves as a testament to her enduring legacy. 

Tinubu And Alienation Of S’East Region

 By Dan Onwukwe

Political power is like a bikini. It reveals. It exposes a leader’s real character, no matter how he tries to hide it. That’s why what some politicians do when they are trying to get your vote is not necessarily what they do after they have it. This is what happens: when a President feels he has got enough power, when he thinks he can do without you anymore, that’s when you begin to see how he always wanted to treat people. 

*Tinubu

Moreover, you can begin to see by watching what he does with the power he has desperately acquired and what he wanted to accomplish all along. That’s also why history sometimes provides a striking opportunity for understanding the interplay between leaders, circumstances, and the behaviour of some leaders who society once accorded recognition and respect.

The Selectorate: When The People Vote But The Judges Choose

 By Abdul Mahmud

One month ago, in Abuja, a small circle of friends, literary enthusiasts, human rights activists, politicians, public intellectuals and thinkers gathered to listen to Chidi Odinkalu read from his latest offering, The Selectorate: When Judges Topple the People. It was a private reading, but the ideas Chidi graciously espoused belong in the public domain. They concern us, citizens of this ruined Republic.

Odinkalu is no stranger to judicial criticism. I have often described him both as a restless ruffler of the judicial nest and a flamethrower who scorches the dark recesses of our judicial quarters, casting light into corners long hidden from public view, so that citizens may, if only for a moment, glimpse the shadows that dwell within. Rightly so. He has spent the better part of his sterling career in the academe and public activism, exposing the inconsistencies, betrayals, and quiet capitulations of the judicial branch. But The Selectorate is more than a critique. It is a mirror, held up to a country whose judicial branch is in utter disrepute.

Serial Defections: How Would Atiku Be Remembered In Nigerian Politics?

 By Olu Fasan

Recently, on July 14, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice-president, announced his latest defection from a political party. It was his fifth since 1999 when Nigeria returned to civil rule. In 2006, while still vice-president under the administration of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku defected to Action Congress, AC. In 2007, he returned to PDP, only to decamp to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2014.

*Atiku

Three years later, in 2017, Atiku defected from APC and returned to PDP. Now, in 2025, he has defected from PDP to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, under which he is assembling a coalition to face the APC and its flagbearer, President Bola Tinubu, in the 2027 presidential election, which, seemingly, he’s keen to contest. That would be Atiku’s seventh attempt at the presidency, aged 80! Outside politics, Atiku is known for many things. He is a proud family man, a successful businessman, and a holder of a major traditional title, the Waziri of Adamawa.

Lagos And The Yoruba…

 By Obi Nwakanma

The lethal cladding of extreme power could blind, and constrain a man, so much that he might fall into the ditch, and still think himself powerful. Wise folks know this. So, they handle power and its claddings with extreme care. 

I would like in that sense to caution Dr. Rotimi Fasan, columnist and colleague at the Vanguard, whose recent take on the renaming of streets bearing Igbo names in Lagos, leaves sour tastes on the mouth. I will try to stay in the bounds of collegiality, but I should remind Fasan that our calling in the humane letters demands a broader, clearer, sober, gentler regard  for truth unconstrained by provincialism or the kind of deadly and empty self-regard, that is so writ large in his column, this past Thursday. He titled it, “Who Are the Bigots?” Dr. Fasan should take a very hard and steady look at the mirror, and his answer might stare right back at him. 

Oshiomhole Lied! Benin Nursing School Not Owned By Govt — Catholic Church

                                           ----------------------------------

                    PRESS CONFERENCE

(July 30, 2025)

Setting The Records Straight: Philomena College Of Nursing Is Not Government-Owned

*Obi

Introduction

He who speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. — Proverbs 12:17 (RSVCE).

On this note, I welcome you, ladies and gentlemen of the press, esteemed guests, and fellow citizens to this press conference at the Archdiocesan Secretariat of Social Communications and Printing Press. My name is Rev. Fr. Jude Orah, and I am the Director of Social Communications and Press of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City, Edo State. Thank you for honouring our invitation.

A Call for Truth in a Time of Misinformation

The times we live in today call for moments of truth so that falsehood may not thrive. As Scripture reminds us, “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (cf. John 8:32). 

It is in this spirit that we are gathered here today to address the public regarding the ownership and funding of the College of Nursing Sciences, located within the premises of St. Philomena Catholic Hospital, Benin City. 

This clarification has become necessary in response to misleading statements made by His Excellency, Senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, CON, who was a former president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, former Governor of Edo State, and former National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC); also the current senator representing Edo North Senatorial District.

2027, Lagos And Resurgence Of Anti-Igbo Sentiments

 

By Emeka Alex Duru

2027 general elections may still be far but signs of what to come are becoming clearer and indeed, disturbing. Nigerians may be in for a rough deal, perhaps, worse than what was experienced in 2023, if the morning, as they say, tells the day. Mudslinging and ethnic recriminations are already dominating public spaces, in place of issue-based engagements. Lagos is a place to watch in the worrisome development.

Igbos Earned Their Lunch In Lagos

 By Prof. Femi Olufunmilade

Lagos has been a cosmopolitan, global destination with a modern seaport at Apapa since the mid-1800. It became a Crown Colony in 1861. I did a research for the Nigerian Customs, went into the Federal Archives at the University of Ibadan and discovered records of the Customs Administration of Lagos since 1877. Could have been earlier? 

Lagos was developed by people from diverse parts of the world. The British contributed their bit, ditto indigenous people, as well as other West African groups like Dahomians, Ghanaians, Togolese, etc. From within Nigeria, you have early settlers like the Bini, and the Tapa, and returned slaves from Brazil and Sierra Leone, and, by the early 1900s, the Igbo began to flock in. Later, the Lebanese came, followed by the Indians. All of these groups had made Lagos what it is before Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) came out of his father’s crotch, whoever he is. 

Lagos Is Playing with Fire — And Tinubu Must Put It Out

 By Ojudu Babafemi

A troubling trend is unfolding in Lagos State. In the aftermath of the recent local government elections, some newly elected officials have embarked on a reckless spree of renaming streets—particularly those bearing Igbo names or named after prominent non-indigenes. This is not coincidental; it is a calculated political maneuver rooted in resentment, identity politics, and shortsighted leadership. 

The long-simmering tension between Yoruba and Igbo communities reached a boiling point during the 2023 elections. Peter Obi of the  Labour Party (LP) shocked the political establishment by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu—Lagos’s long-reigning political figure—in the presidential poll within the state. That upset sent shockwaves through the ruling APC, and fears grew that a similar surprise might unfold in the governorship race. What followed was an aggressive, divisive campaign that shamelessly weaponized ethnicity, fear, and misinformation.

Trump’s Banquet For Africa’s Lilliputians

 By Adekeye Adebajo

The presidents of five West and Central African states – Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Liberia’s Joseph Boakai, Guinea-Bissau’s Umaro Cissoko Embaló, Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and Gabon’s Brice Oligui Nguema – recently visited United States (U.S.) president Donald Trump for a bizarre banquet in the White House.

*Trump with the five African leaders who he treated with disrespect ...

These five countries have limited trade with America and represent just 2.3 per cent of Africa’s population, with only Senegal having a population of more than six million people in a continent of 1.5 billion people and 55 nations. Though the presidents of Mauritania, Senegal, and Liberia were democratically elected, the Gabonese leader is a former military putschist who recently won  a controversial 90 per cent electoral victory, while the Bissau-Guinean leader has suspended his Parliament, clamped down harshly on dissent, and postponed elections.

Peter Obi Unsettles And Exposes Many Just By Being Himself!

 By Ayowolo Ayoola Abimbola

Peter Obi continues to expose us, not by making noise, but simply by being himself. He has exhumed everything that’s wrong with us as citizens. 

*Obi

We’ve become so conditioned to seeing power expressed through arrogance and showmanship that we now find humility unsettling. We can't seem to process the idea that power can be handled quietly, responsibly, even gently. 

Obi continues to remind us, again and again, of just how broken our understanding of leadership has become. In a country where power is equated with privilege, and status is often worn like armor, Obi’s quiet consistency unsettles many, not because he offends, but because he doesn’t fit. 

Nigeria: An Economy In Decline

 By Nick Dazang

On Monday, July 21, 2025, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, offered us a partial glimpse into the Nigerian economy. According to Prince Adeniran, our economy, following the rebase of our Gross Domestic Product, GDP,  grew by 3.13 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 from 2.27 per cent as recorded in the same period of 2024.

Furthermore, the economy, which was rebased from 2010 to 2019, grew to N372.82 trillion from N205.09 trillion. The growth in the economy is said to be attributed to wider coverage of areas which were either hitherto glossed over or were under reported. These areas include: Fin Tech, Telecommunications, Real Estate and activities in the Informal Sector of the economy.

Why Peter Obi Is Their Major Threat

 By Dan Onwukwe

On a fine, rarefied atmosphere, December 16, 2009, just eight days before Christmas, a clutch of reporters had gathered at the magnificent Holy Trinity Cathedral field, Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra state. The reporters, from print and electronic media, had assembled for one of those political events, that was, in retrospect, of great importance in election season. It was the flag-off of the governorship campaign to re-elect Mr. Peter Obi for a second term in office. The election took place on February 6, 2010. 

           *Obi    

All eyes at the Cathedral ground were on Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the leader of All Progressive Grand Alliance(APGA), the party on which Mr. Peter contested the election. It was not for nothing that the presence of Ikemba Nnewi riveted attention that day. He had a lot to say about Obi that would define the direction of the campaign and perhaps determine the outcome of the governorship election. And it did. Known for his gift of the gab, Ojukwu looked at the mammoth crowd and said: “You  know I am getting old now, and one favour I ask of you at this time is to vote my political son(Peter) into office again to enable our people to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy”. 

The New Face Of Corruption In Nigeria

 By Tonnie Iredia

Seventy-three (73) years ago, the Northern House of Chiefs made history when it passed a motion moved by the Emir of Gwandu mandating all native authorities to fight the disturbing trend of corruption among public officials in the colony. Other parts of what became Nigeria embraced the laudable motion.

From then till now, our successive political and military leaders have all taken several steps to continue with the fight, but the malaise has refused to go. To name just a few efforts, General Yakubu Gowon’s ‘Public Officer (Investigation of Assets) Decree’ of 1968, resulted in the forfeiture of corruptly acquired assets by culprits. The Murtala/Obasanjo military government sacked no less than 10, 000 public servants deemed to be corrupt. To invigorate our Code of Condict Bureau, President Ibrahim Babangida in 1989 added to it the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Femi Adesina Made Buhari’s Hypocrisy Worse

 By Dele Sobowale

"Silence is golden when you can’t think of an [intelligent] answer” – Mohammed Ali, 1942-2016.  

Buhari’s death has exposed more horrors about the real attitude of those who held the highest posts in his government – which was largely a failure based on lies and hypocrisy.

*Buhari and Femi Adesina 

Last week, my column addressed Garba Shehu’s confession that he told Nigerians lies about Aso Rock rats to cover up Buhari’s infirmities which might have rendered him unable to preside. 

Today, it is  Femi Adesina, another top official of the government, who is under scrutiny for what he said in defence of his late boss.

To be quite candid, if only the dead can be aware of what their “friends” say about them, they would seek the forgiveness of their enemies.

Adesina just rubbished Buhari’s reputation for simplicity and honesty by his recent utterances on a television show.

Tinubu: Too Supercilious, Often Superficial And Too Selfish

 By Ugoji Egbujo

Tinubu’s government has become a propaganda factory.  A government obsessed with spectacle over substance and relentlessly pursuing self-congratulation. A governance style that prioritises the trivial over the transformative.

*Tinubu
Tinubu’s government is devoted to celebrating small, often inconsequential achievements while the nation is racked by hunger, insecurity, and economic stagnation.  From commissioning incomplete roads to extracting political capital from funerals, Tinubu’s leadership appears trapped in superficiality. This penchant for gestures and gimmicks masks a troubling failure to check the nation’s drift.

Ojukwu: Nigeria: The Truths Which Are Self-Evident!

 Being the full text of the lecture delivered by Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi, on the occasion of TSM's 2nd Diamond Lecture to mark the fourth anniversary of the magazine on February 22, 1994

*Odumegwu-Ojukwu

Before I say anything, I would wish first of all to congratulate The Sunday Magazine on this occasion of its fourth Anniversary. In particular, I must thank Mrs. Chris Anyanwu and her courageous hand of Pen-Warriors. Madam, permit me, on behalf of those whom I am proud to represent, to say how proud we have been of the various assaults you have launched and waged successfully and the numerous assaults on your establishment which you have withstood with equal success. Madam, we thank you for your availability to those voices who are relentlessly drowned by the clamour of prejudice and the distortions of mischief. Madam we thank you for the truth which your team publishes, for the high journalistic standard which, for four years, your magazine has exemplified. Madam, on behalf of Nigeria, I thank you for ensuring that despite the cacophony of deceit and personal ambition, despite the menace of intolerance and despite the very real antagonism and the meanness of a rabid mob, like Horatio in Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome, stood firm and held the Bridge. In holding the Bridge, Nigeria remained conscious of the fact that there are always two sides of the coin. Ladies and Gentlemen, I salute The Sunday Magazine and I recommend the Magazine to all those who wish to keep a balanced viewpoint on Nigerian affairs.

Armageddon>>Obi: The Promethean Mandate

By Steve Osuji 

IT'S NOW OR NEVER: Let Nigeria get ready. Indeed, let the world get ready for, it is now or never.

The epic battle for the soul of Nigeria shall be fought in 2027. It shall be a showdown between day and night; light and darkness; good and evil. Let's call it a sort of liberational Armageddon! Let everyone bear it in mind and determine today, on which side he shall be fighting!

Peter Obi And The Success Story Of Kano’s UMZA Rice

 …Peter Obi: The Leader Nigeria Needs to Transform the North and Beyond!”

By Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim

Fellow Nigerians, let’s unite for a brighter future and reject the divisive traps of religion and tribalism. 

The time has come to rally behind Peter Obi, a leader whose actions prove he’s committed to uplifting every Nigerian; North, South, Christian, Muslim, or otherwise—through agriculture, economic empowerment, and poverty alleviation. 

Which Way Nigeria, Which Way?

 By Basil Onwukwe

The dream of lasting peace in Nigeria remains a fleeting illusion until fundamental human rights are equal and guaranteed for all. Without this, the pursuit of economic growth and political stability can never be fully realised. Righteousness exalts a nation, and doing things right is not an option? Let’s not pretend that political alignment is about public interest.

Nigerians will be waiting to see whether they will establish a legal framework that enables the reconstruction of the nation’s failed issues. Let’s call it what it is: a carefully masked attempt to fund elite wasteful spending. Any change from frying pan to fire cannot be tolerated anymore, or state capture that offloads systemic failure onto the backs of the masses will not be acceptable.