In more direct language, what I am trying to draw attention to is how in recent times, despite the fact that we are under a democratic dispensation, there has been a seeming militarization of the political space, by the incumbent political administration at the centre
Author: Reuben Abati
I have a confession to make. I worked in government until recently but I am frightened by the manner in which wild animals are now all over the place. When public officials talk, they see animals
When will Gowon, Shagari, Shonekan, Abdusalami Abubakar, Jonathan and Danjuma speak up? Their silence is not golden in this instance. It amounts to an abdication of responsibility. For a country that has done so much for them, they cannot afford to sit on the fence
It stands to reason therefore that whatever is done by those agents, lawfully and within the bounds of Presidential approval, are within the scope of the responsibility of the President. In other words, the President cannot pass the buck
I said I expected that the statement attributed to her would be disowned. But no such thing happened. Her husband soon took his own pound of flesh when at a press conference in Germany, he told the entire world that Aisha Buhari, his wife, belongs to the “living room, the kitchen and the other room.”
That is the article that never was. But here it is, three years later, unedited, fully reflective of the mood in which it was written. I leave you to draw your own conclusions
The George Weah Presidency is the product of enormous goodwill. George Weah should therefore realize, early enough, that the coalition that has brought him to power is not a coalition merely in name
The tragedy of Nigerian politics right now is that we do not yet have, 18 years after our return to democracy, a political party that represents the closest ideals of democracy
The international community must not allow Zimbabwe to continue to drift. The uncertainty that lingers in that country, if allowed to continue, could result in greater chaos and instability
Abati was former presidential spokesman
Abati was a former spokesman of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan
Abati, a prominent columnist, was spokesman of former President Goodluck Jonathan
The worst crime a man can commit is to deny himself or herself, the right to exist and think. I sympathise with all those who like to appropriate my name, but I am sorry, I do not run a Reuben Abati franchise
On the surface of it, both men can be said to mean well. But the tragedy of their recent meeting in Nigeria is that nobody believes the nice statements they both made
The murderous Operation Python Dance II that was unleashed on Igboland by the Federal Government of Nigeria has since become a subject of national interest. Many people have proclaimed that you have been killed, abducted and that many members of your family and movement – the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have been wasted
The Nigerian military has never been so clever in coming up with operation code names: many of them are dead give-aways (Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Pulo Shield, Operation Maximum Safety, Operation Crackdown) or so stupidly incongruous they evoke instant suspicion (Operation Python Dance, Operation Crocodile Smile)
The competition for space in the schools with lower fees is much higher, often leaving the ones with expensive school fees with fewer applicants
‘On the contrary, everybody wanted him back. The resume or resign protesters wanted him back. They put him and his doctors under pressure. The President’s return is a kind of triumph for civil society. We can see that the people still have power’
Our President should not be turned into a tourist attraction and the Abuja House in London should not become a museum
“What I know is that we are now truly, a country of hyenas, jackals and small animals. A big animal kingdom, but when the First Lady Aisha Buhari drew attention to this, recently, we all started screaming that she was rather condescending but right now, with what I am seeing and hearing, I believe she will be vindicated in the long run.”