President Buhari’s presence at Tinubu’s 66th Birthday Colloquium was a public affirmation of a rapprochement between two men, who had been estranged for the better part of the pendency of the APC’s control of the Federal Government. It can, in fact, be regarded as a celebration of Tinubu’s rehabilitation and reintegration into the federal power circle, a process that began with the rapid appearances of Tinubu (with Akande) at the Villa and his weird commission by Buhari, as the Chief Peacemaker of the APC (weird because the party is not an arm of the presidency). Will Tinubu fall for Buhari’s…

His Lordship Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory last Friday, gave an instructive, landmark judgment in the matter between Mohammed Bello Adoke and the Attorney General of the Federation on the extent of Presidential powers. I had addressed this particular subject in a previous essay titled “Obasanjo and the extent of presidential powers” (January 29, 2018) when President Obasanjo argued forcefully that President Muhammadu Buhari must be prepared to accept responsibility for the failings and failures of his government and stop blaming previous governments or political leaders. What Justice Binta Nyako has…

Why were democratic political systems not responsive early enough to the grievances that autocratic populists have successfully exploited – inequality and economic anxiety, decline of perceived social status, the chasm between elites and ordinary citizens? Had political parties, particularly of the center left, pursued a bolder agenda, perhaps the rise of right-wing, nativist political movements might have been averted. In principle, greater inequality produces a demand for more redistribution. Democratic politicians should respond by imposing higher taxes on the wealthy and spending the proceeds on the less well off. This intuition is formalized in a well-known paper in political economy…

Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed what has been known to many for nearly three years: he wants to remain in power for four more years. According to Mr. Buhari, this decision is owed not to his personal desire, but to popular clamour. It is always amusing when people who seek office, or want to cling to it, cite popular pressure. The truth is that only Buhari’s circle of loyalists wants him back. No Nigerian whose desire or interest is leadership rather than power, does. I am not necessarily saying Buhari will not win the re-election contest, but if he…