Mind, Body and Country by Njideka Maduka

By Njideka Maduka  The anyhowness is just too much. You need to see or hear it to believe it. Vanguard newspaper reported this morning that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has replaced 26 candidates who emerged from the party's recent primaries with other candidates. One of the biggest casualties is former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. According to the report, the development is linked to what it described as "the battle for the control of Benue State between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Governor Hyacinth Alia." So, Suswam was sacrificed to please Akume, a top APC leader told Vanguard. The report also suggested that part of the decision was aimed at returning greater control of the party structures in the states to the governors.  Recall that President Bola Tinubu had earlier given the governors of the APC in the different states power to be in charge of primaries in their respective states. Now, having conducted...

Si nce 2009, Nigeria has seen a steady descent into violence — from Boko Haram’s insurgency to the herdsmen crisis, banditry, kidnappings, and regional unrest. This long-form essay draws from personal experience, historical events, and current realities to examine what has gone wrong with Nigeria’s security architecture and why. It’s not just about bad policy; it’s about leadership, ideology, silence, and systemic failure. The Genesis Nigeria’s security situation took a nosedive beginning in 2009. It was the period Boko Haram began to rear its ugly head. I remember that year vividly — I was a youth corps member serving in one of the northern states. There was slight tension in our area on one of those days. Information would later trickle in that some people were propagating a variant form of Islam, contrary to what was the norm. We would later see some soldiers at night around our lodges. To be honest, I was totally ignorant of what all of that meant or the possible future impact. E...

  Atiku Abubakar’s reported offer of the vice presidential ticket to Peter Obi has stirred political debates ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections. What does this mean for Obi’s supporters, the opposition coalition, and Nigeria’s political landscape? I break it down. Atiku's Alleged VP Offer to Obi When I read the news about this offer as reported by The Punch Newspaper on May 19th, 2025, the first thing that came to my mind was: "The Obidients are not going to like this." And true to fact, a number of Obi’s supporters on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter)—are already writing open letters to him, warning against accepting any offer short of a presidential ticket, or else they’ll withdraw their support for him in 2027. Why the Obidients Are Unhappy Their reasons are not far-fetched: Obi, in their estimation, is the only one who can rescue Nigeria . They are already reminding him of how hard they laboured to campaign and vote for him in 2023. Now, there is ...

The Announcement  On Monday, May 6, 2025, renowned political economist Professor Pat Utomi announced the creation of what he called a shadow government. According to Utomi, this shadow cabinet will consist of professionals and opposition figures from various parties, tasked with scrutinizing government actions, identifying policy failures, and proposing alternative solutions in critical sectors like the economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order, and constitutional reform. He appointed human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi to head the Ombudsman and Good Governance portfolio, while names like Cheta Nwanze, Halima Ahmed, and David Okonkwo feature prominently in the Policy Delivery Unit. Other experts and professionals that will form the shadow cabinet include: Dr Adefolusade Adebayo, Dr Peter Agadah, Dr Sadiq Gombe, Chibuzor Nwachukwu, Salvation Alibor, Bilkisu Magoro, Dr Victor Tubo, Charles Odibo, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Eunice Atuejide, Gbenga Ajayi, Dr Mani Ahmad, Pe...