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Showing posts from July, 2026

Dìbò k’ó se’bẹ̀ and the raw reality of politics - (1) | adekkatv

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  By abiodun KOMOLAFE The current state of what we call “politics” in Nigeria throws one back in time. One is reminded of Nigeria if, after decades, someone goes back to read the treatise by the revolutionist and founder of the now-rested Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. In his 1902 famous handbook of political activism, What is to be Done?, Lenin made a puzzling point: he argued, strangely at first reading, that “revolutions do not occur during times of mass, grinding poverty; they occur during times of relatively rising prosperity.” To justify this seemingly contentious position, he looked back into history to present examples backed by data. The Nigerian political elite seem to have misinterpreted Lenin’s position entirely. From “Dìbò k’ó se’bẹ̀” (Vote and be sure to cook soup), to “Aṣáàjẹun” - those who live for the next meal - the prevailing playbook assumes that mass poverty is a sufficient deterrence against revolution. To all intents ...

Osun guber: Lessons from Ekiti (2) | adekkatv

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By Abiodun Komolafe From all indications, the surge in voter interest is a clear signal that Osun is a bigger test and, fundamentally, it is the last mock exercise before January 16, when all eyes - including those of the global investment community - will be on Africa’s biggest democracy. Again, for all stakeholders, the guiding principle should be to follow the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared! One of the gains from what we can describe as a test run in Ekiti State is that it has put to rest the fear of pre-written result sheets. As the Lord would have it, transmission of results in real time is now incontrovertible. We might have glitches here and there, but the improvement, given the deficit of technological infrastructure, is a massive advance in boosting voter confidence. Hopefully, it’d lead to high turnout and greater citizen engagement, which is vital to the development of our democracy. Based on my observation of the June 20 Ekiti governorship election, I can also confidently...

Osun guber: Lessons from Ekiti - (1) | adekkatv

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  By abiodun KOMOLAFE The off-cycle election in Ekiti State, which secured the reelection of the incumbent governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), should be interpreted as a roadmap to things to come - and those changes are already upon us. For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was a mock examination passed creditably. The commission, however, must refine critical logistics, as well as the deployment and efficacy of its technological systems. Kudos to the umpire! The organization is beginning to show that it is capable of delivering a peaceful, tech-driven election. The onus is now on the security forces to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes and effects of the sixteen recorded infractions across the state on Election Day. This is critical, more so as the off-cycle election on August 15 in Osun State promises to be a fiercely contested affair, unlike what we witnessed in Ekiti State. Deep reflection is needed as INEC, the political class, and ci...

Just In: Kidnapped Oriire pupils, teachers rescued

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  The pupils and teachers in Oriire in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have finally regained their freedom. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser, Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, made the announcement of the development on X on Friday. He stated: “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies. “One of the rescued teachers in Oyo sends a thank you message to President Tinubu and the security agencies.” One of the rescued teachers in Oyo sends a thank you message to President Tinubu and the security agencies. pic.twitter.com/bGeuhvWH7F — Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) July 10, 2026 In the video,  one of the rescued victims, Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, said “President sir, our father, we are grateful, we understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us…. And every security operatives, they tried so much and that is why we are still alive by now, God bless you...