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  • Donald Trump’s war on global governance: Lessons from the past on how to fight back

    Donald Trump’s war on global governance: Lessons from the past on how to fight back

    By Danny Bradlow

    US president Donald Trump’s recent actions seem designed to reassert American power and demonstrate that it is still the dominant global power and is capable of bullying weaker nations into following America’s lead.

    He has shown contempt for international collaboration by withdrawing from the UN climate negotiations and the World Health Organization. His officials have also indicated that they will not participate in upcoming G20 meetings because he does not like the policies of South Africa, the G20 president for 2025.

    In addition, he’s shown a lack of concern for international solidarity by halting US aid programmes and by undermining efforts to keep businesses honest. He has demonstrated his contempt for allies by imposing tariffs on their exports.

    These actions demand a response from the rest of the international community that mitigates the risk to the well-being of people and planet and the effective management of global affairs.

    My research on global economic governance suggests that history can offer some guidance on how to shape an effective response.

    Such a response should be based on a realistic assessment of the configuration of global forces. It should seek to build tactical coalitions between state and non-state actors in both the global south and the global north who can agree on clear and limited objectives.

    The following three historical lessons help explain this point.

    Cautionary lessons

    The first lesson is about the dangers of being overoptimistic in assessing the potential for change.

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the US was confronting defeat in the war in Vietnam, high inflation and domestic unrest, including the assassination of leading politicians and the murder of protesting students.

    The US was also losing confidence in its ability to sustain the international monetary order it had established at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944.

    In addition, the countries of the global south were calling for a new international economic order that was more responsive to their needs. Given the concerns about the political and economic situation in the US and the relative strength of the Soviet bloc at the time, this seemed a realistic demand.

    In August 1971, President Richard Nixon, without any international consultations, launched what became known as the Nixon Shock. He broke the link between gold and the US dollar, thereby ending the international monetary system established in 1944. He also imposed a 10% surcharge on all imports into the US.

    When America’s European allies protested and sought to create a reformed version of the old monetary order, US treasury secretary John Connolly informed them that the dollar was our currency but your problem.

    Over the course of the 1970s, US allies in Western Europe, Asia and all countries that participated in the old Bretton Woods system were forced to accept what the US preferred: a market-based international monetary system in which the US dollar became the dominant currency.

    The US, along with its allies in the global north, also defeated the calls for a new international economic order and imposed their neo-liberal economic order on the world.

    The second cautionary lesson highlights the importance of building robust tactical coalitions. In 1969, the International Monetary Fund member states agreed to authorise the IMF to create special drawing rights, the IMF’s unique reserve asset. At the time, many IMF developing country member states advocated establishing a link between development and the special drawing rights. This would enable those countries most in need of additional resources to access more than their proportionate share of special drawing rights to fund their development.

    All developing countries supported this demand. But they couldn’t agree on how to do it. The rich countries were able to exploit these differences and defeat the proposed link between the special drawing rights and development. As a result, the special drawing rights are now distributed to all IMF member states according to their quotas in the IMF. This means that most allocations go to the rich countries who do not need them and have no obligation to share them with developing countries.

    A third lesson arises from the successful Jubilee 2000 campaign to forgive the debts of low-income developing countries experiencing debt crises. This campaign, supported by a secretariat in the United Kingdom, eventually involved:

    • Civil society organisations and activists in 40 countries

    • A petition signed by 21 million people

    • Governments in both creditor and debtor countries.

    These efforts resulted in the cancellation of the debts of 35 developing countries. These debts, totalling about US$100 billion, were owed primarily to bilateral and multilateral official creditors.

    They were also a demonstration of the political power that can be generated by the combined actions of civil society organisations and governments in both rich and poor countries. They can force the most powerful and wealthy institutions and individuals in the world to accept actions that, while requiring them to make affordable sacrifices, benefit low-income countries and potentially poor communities within those states.

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    What conclusions should be drawn?

    We shouldn’t under-estimate the power of the US or the determination of the MAGA movement to use that power. However, their power is not absolute. It is constrained by the relative decline in US power as countries such as China and India gain economic and political strength. In addition, there are now mechanisms for international cooperation, such as the G20, where states can coordinate their actions and gain tactical victories that are meaningful to people and planet.

    But gaining such victories will require the following:

    Firstly, the formation of tactical coalitions that include states from both the global south and the global north. If these states cooperate around limited and shared objectives they can counter the vested interests around the world that support Trump’s objectives.

    Secondly, a special kind of public-private partnership in which states and non-state actors set aside their differences and agree to cooperate to achieve limited shared objectives. Neither states alone nor civil society groups alone were able to defeat the vested interests that opposed debt relief in the late 1990s. Working together they were able to defeat powerful creditor interests and gain debt relief for the poorest states.

    Thirdly, this special partnership will only be possible if there’s general agreement on both the diagnosis of the problem and on the general contours of the solution. This was the case with the debt issue in the 1990s.

    There are good candidates for such collaborative actions. For example, many states and non-state actors agree that international financial institutions need to be reformed and made more responsive to the needs of those member states that actually use their services but lack voice and vote in their governance. The institutions also need to be more accountable to those affected by their policies and practices. They also agree that large corporations and financial institutions should pay their fair share of taxes and should be environmentally and socially responsible.

    The urgency of the challenges facing the global community demands that the world begin countering Trump as soon as possible. South Africa as the current chair of the G20 has a special responsibility to ensure that this year the G20, together with its engagement groups, acts creatively and responsibly in relation to people and planet.

    •Bradlow is Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, South Africa. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. “https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-war-on-global-governance-lessons-from-the-past-on-how-to-fight-back-249666”

  • My 2027 monologue

    My 2027 monologue

    Ray Ekpu

    It is surprising, isn’t it, that barely two years after election into a four-year term in the office of the President of Nigeria, people are already meeting and making plans for the next election. I can make some guesses why this is so (a) The Nigerian presidency is very attractive because of the enormous powers attached to it; (b) Some people might feel that President Bola Tinubu has not performed wonderfully in the two crucial areas namely insecurity and economy that could have made a positive difference to people’s lives; (c) Some people might think that every election offers an opportunity for them to try their luck. If they start early to let the public know that they are interested, they might get something if not the real thing.

    One of these reasons might be the reason why there is an early attempt to bring 2027 to the conversation table early in 2025.

     The national chairman of the ruling APC, Abdullahi Ganduje is reported to have told the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Musa Kwankwaso that there won’t be any vacancy in the presidency in 2027. The two of them are former governors of Kano State but they both have an interest in the presidency one way or another.

    But it is certain that Ganduje’s statement is not directed at Kwankwaso alone. I believe it largely goes to all the other politicians who have been criss-crossing the country, holding meetings, covert or overt, or both on 2027 and on the possibilities of cooperation, coalition. Some of these meeting attendees have contested and failed in past elections for that office, and think that another attempt may bring them Mother Luck. Some of them are party deviants who think that mouthing their presidential ambition may draw the attention of the president to their need for some kind of enhanced stomach infrastructure in place of a competition for that office. Some of them are disgruntled party members who think that they have been ignored in the sharing of the booty and to display their nuisance value is the best approach to the matter. They are not really, truly, significant pretenders to the presidential throne.

    Ganduje’s no-vacancy statement can be interpreted in two ways – literal and legal. In a literal sense, there will be no vacancy in 2027 whether Tinubu contests the election or not or whether he contests the election and loses or wins. There will be no gap in the governance of the country because on May 29, 2027, Tinubu will either hand over to Tinubu if he wins or hand over to someone else if he loses. The assumption here is that he is likely to contest in 2027. No gap, no vacancy.

    However, speaking legally, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria provides for elections to be conducted every four years into the office of the President of Nigeria. In that sense there will always be a vacancy in that office every four years that an election must fill.

    Ganduje is not the first person to use this no-vacancy expression in Nigeria. Chief Tony Anenih, chieftain of the PDP used it in 2011 when he was pushing for Goodluck Jonathan who had taken over the presidency when President Umaru Yar’Adua died. Jonathan was to pair up with his Vice President Namadi Sambo to run for a full term. But there was also Adamu Ciroma’s consensus candidate, Atiku Abubakar who apparently thought that since Yar’Adua was a northerner, someone from the north needed to take over from him. It didn’t work out that way. Jonathan and Sambo won the 2011 election. That Yar’Adua’s death posed a problem for the proponents of rotational presidency. But problem or not, rotational presidency has enormous advantage for a country like Nigeria with linguistic, cultural, ethnic and geographical differences, a country that seeks to be united so as to get the benefits of large scale that its size provides. To achieve that unity, all component parts of the country must be ready and willing to make sacrifices in their political and economic decisions.

    Those who are angling for a northern presidency in 2027 are partisan, desperate and greedy politicians who do not care about the unity and stability of Nigeria. They do not care whether or not their partisan desire will destabilize Nigeria or not. Such people are not interested in nation-building. They are only interested in their personal ambition, not in the stability and progress of a very fragile nation like Nigeria.

    We saw such people in 2010 when Jonathan was vice president and Yar’Adua was sick. They prevented Yar’Adua from allowing Jonathan to act as president and the nation fell into a constitutional crisis. They prevented the president from observing section 145 of the constitution which states that: “Whenever the president transmit to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such functions shall be discharged by the vice president as acting president.” It was the extraordinary decision by the National Assembly to accept the doctrine of necessity that saved the country from calamity and our democracy from disaster.

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    Those who are interested in taking over from Tinubu in 2027 belong to the existing political parties that constitute the opposition. These are the PDP, Labour Party and NNPP. All three parties have varying levels of strength in the country but none of them is strong enough to dethrone the ruling APC. All three of them have internal problems within their parties and are busy going from one courtroom to another in the attempt to solve those problems. Their strength in terms of accessing the presidency through the 2027 election can be partly measured by their ability to solve their own problems. If they find it difficult to solve their party’s problems, how can they be trusted to have the ability to solve the bigger problems of the country? That is a question they must answer.

    However, not being able to solve their party’s problems does not mean that they cannot aspire to capturing the presidency. They can do so by seeking to merge with other parties to form a formidable group that can compete with the ruling party which has become attractive for people who want to be covered by the big tent of the APC.

    The second thing to say about the parties that seek to overthrow the APC in 2027 is for them to provide viable and sustainable policy options for the two major problems that Tinubu has been contending with: insecurity and economy. These two problems have not been satisfactorily tackled by the federal government. Any of the opposition parties that seek to take over the federal government in 2027 must submit to the people an alternative policy option that convincingly deals with at least the two major problems. Merely criticizing the Tinubu government’s policies is not enough. What will satisfy Nigerians is their ability to put forward for critical assessment and analysis, workable policy options on the major problems of the country.

    If they are able to do that satisfactorily, the claim by Ganduje that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027 will be fake.

  • El-Rufai’s relentless attacks on Tinubu and Uba Sani

    El-Rufai’s relentless attacks on Tinubu and Uba Sani

    • By Salifu Umar

    The embattled former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, recently intensified his criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Not only has he taken a firm stance against the president, but he has also openly criticised his successor, Governor Uba Sani, whom he personally backed to lead Kaduna State. This dramatic turn of events has left many Nigerians questioning why El-Rufai has turned against a president he actively campaigned for and a governor he backed to succeed him.

    Apparently, El-Rufai’s discontent stems from what he perceives as a betrayal by the Tinubu administration. His recent outbursts suggest frustration over his exclusion from the federal cabinet after his ministerial nomination was blocked by the senate due to a damning security report. Even though he has repeatedly claimed that he did not seek any political appointment from the president, his sudden opposition raises questions. How can one claim not to desire a political appointment from a president he vigorously campaigned for, only to become his staunch opponent after his ministerial nomination was rejected on security grounds?

    It is important to note that this was not the first time El-Rufai’s ministerial nomination faced resistance. Under President Obasanjo, his nomination was also met with opposition, and it took the intervention of his then-political godfather, Atiku Abubakar—whom he later betrayed—for him to be cleared. Tinubu’s so-called offense was his refusal to interfere in the affairs of the National Assembly, as Atiku did by persuading the senate to approve El-Rufai’s nomination despite the damning security report. Suddenly, in El-Rufai’s eyes, Tinubu has become the worst thing to ever happen to Nigeria for simply abiding by the principle of separation of powers.

    Even El-Rufai’s son, Bello El-Rufai, went as far as calling Tinubu names declaring that his emergence as president was a mistake. Ironically, El-Rufai’s wife, Hajiya Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, publicly cautioned their son on X (formerly twitter) for the reckless comment against Tinubu’s administration – asking: Would El-Rufai and his son still be attacking the president and his cabinet members if he had been cleared by the Senate?

    There is no gainsaying the fact that politics, in Nigeria and elsewhere, is driven by personal interests. However, in this part of the world, personal interests often override national interests. That is why when men like Nasir El-Rufai speak, it is essential to analyse their motives critically.

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    Make no mistake—his newfound hobby of attacking Tinubu and Uba Sani aligns more with his personal grievances over a failed ministerial nomination than with genuine concerns about governance. He would likely deny this, but his history of speaking from both sides of the mouth makes it hard to take his words at face value.

    El-Rufai is also bitter because he has failed in his bid to be a godfather. The people of Kaduna State should be grateful to Uba Sani for his courage in standing up against his perceived political godfather by demanding accountability. It is the dream of every politician to install a successor who would shield their past dealings while in office. This is exactly what Nasir El-Rufai expected from Uba Sani but he has disappointed him.

    One of the hallmarks of a true leader is putting the interests of the people above personal or political loyalty. For Uba Sani, it is Kaduna first. And by doing so, he has drawn a battle line with El-Rufai.

    While reacting to Uba Sani’s explosive interview on TVC News—where he revealed that he inherited a $587 million debt from his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai—El-Rufai fired back, accusing the governor of defending the Tinubu government because of bailout funds he received. He warned that, at the right time, the people of Kaduna State would judge.

    Now, the question is: does El-Rufai have the capacity to unseat Uba Sani and even Tinubu? His actions and body language depict the image of a man who sees himself as the best thing to happen to Northern Nigeria since the time of Sardauna. But he doesn’t come close. His exaggerated self-importance and sense of entitlement are glaring.

    By saying that the people of Kaduna State will judge at the appropriate time, El-Rufai has forgotten that it is God Almighty who crowns whomever He deems fit as King. Yes, the people of Kaduna State will judge Uba Sani at the appropriate time—but not because El-Rufai has fallen out with him for refusing to be used against the interests of Kaduna people. Rather, he will be judged based on his performance.

    So far, Uba Sani’s scorecard in office is clear for the people of Kaduna State to see, like the nose on a face. At the very least, banditry and other forms of criminality have reduced significantly under Uba Sani. The people of Southern Kaduna—whom El-Rufai side-lined—are now feeling the impact of inclusive governance. Furthermore, there has been a notable improvement in peace and security in Southern Kaduna since Uba Sani took office.

    In the areas of infrastructure and human capital development, the governor has not put a foot wrong yet. The only difference is that he does not make noise about doing what he was elected to do, as if he is doing the people a favour. Unlike El-Rufai, Uba Sani does not revel in propaganda and soundbites. He let the results speak.

    Unfortunately for El-Rufai, Senator Uba Sani, as we know him, is a fearless man who cannot be gagged into silence or swayed by cheap blackmail. That has always been El-Rufai’s political weapon—blackmail and whipping up sentiments, portraying himself as the victim when, in reality, he is the villain.

    The good news is that Uba Sani enjoys the support of key stakeholders in Kaduna State, including Senator Shehu Sani, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, and others, who recognise his commitment to good governance, inclusive leadership, and the overall development of the state. Needless to say, Kaduna is in safe hands and fortified against El-Rufai’s political incursion, thanks to the combined efforts of these well-meaning individuals.

    For Nasir El-Rufai, the chickens have finally come home to roost. It is time for him to stop jumping from pillar to post, crying witch-hunt and persecution, and instead come to terms with reality. Billions of Kaduna State’s funds are at stake here, and Uba Sani has committed no crime by demanding accountability. If anything, he is fighting for the interests of the good people of Kaduna State. El-Rufai’s threats of political retribution hold no weight against the pursuit of truth and justice.

    Granted, the good people of Kaduna State will judge at the appropriate time, but their judgment is more likely to favour Uba Sani than El-Rufai.

    • Umar is a public affairs analyst.
  • 2027: Thoughts on opposition machinations

    2027: Thoughts on opposition machinations

    • By Tunde Rahman

    Opposition politicians have revved up their engine again ahead of the 2027 election. They are busy meeting, engaging in visitations, regrouping, and strategising under various platforms. And recently at a two-day event in Abuja themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,” some of these opposition figures huffed and puffed, upbraiding the present government and disparaging President Bola Tinubu and the governing All Progressives Congress. Some of them, like the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have taken advantage of various public speaking opportunities to condemn the government’s policy options and decisions but offered little or no alternative course of action.

    This is dismaying. During the Second Republic when the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria leader, the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was the Leader of Opposition, he would dissect the policies of the National Party of Nigeria government of President Shehu Shagari, cut it down into granular details and offer clear, convincing and actionable alternatives. Awolowo’s interventions provided useful solutions that would have bolstered Nigeria’s economy and enriched our democracy, but unfortunately, that era lasted only four years and three months as the military struck.

    President Tinubu has barely spent two years in office. Yet, political opponents have upped the ante in a desperate move to grab power in 2027. The latest move in this direction was the visit last week of the defeated Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Abeokuta, Ogun State hilltop residence. Atiku was in company with former Sokoto State governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Cross River State governor Liyel Imoke and Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi State, all of the crisis-ridden PDP. The former vice president claimed the meeting had nothing to do with 2027. Anyone who believes him on that will believe anything. There was also New Nigeria People’s Party leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso, who travelled all the way to Lagos from Kano to confer with former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola to discuss issues believed to be in connection with 2027. Ogbeni Aregbesola is leading the Omoluabi Group in Osun.

    Three sets of opposition groups are discernible at the moment. One group comprises President Tinubu’s opponents in the 2023 election who have refused to see, and perhaps may never see, anything good in the present government, hard as the administration works to reverse the past mistakes and dwindling fortunes of the country. These men contested the last election with the president and were roundly defeated both at the ballot and in court. However, they have continued to carry on as if the 2023 election cycle has not ended. In this group are former VP Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Their depleting rank of supporters, called the Atikulated and Obidents, are in league with them in this cantankerous behaviour.

    The second group is made up of some erstwhile APC chieftains who claim to still belong in the party but have constituted themselves into opposition elements within. Bitter and vicious, they include former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and some others who rightly or wrongly feel entitled to political appointments and government patronage. Amaechi had detached himself from the APC since he lost out at the APC primaries in August 2022.

    The last group is composed of former APC leaders who are completely out of the party but now vigorously working against the party’s interests. Ogbeni Aregbesola belongs in this group.

    These three groups of opposition figures are working to take over power in 2027. They are aiming at forming a coalition to unseat APC. None has been consummated as of this time.

    It is relevant to ask: why are opposition parties in our climes unduly fixated about taking over power? It may be argued that the zero-sum nature of our politics, the winner-takes-all syndrome, is a contributory factor. But then, the role of opposition parties in a democracy is much more crucial. It is critical in determining the level of accountability and acceptability of governing parties as well as the overall quality of a country’s democracy.

    In his seminal work on the “Role of Opposition Parties in Developing Democracies” published in a journal by Democracy Works Foundation, Williams Gumede posits that, “Opposition parties provide alternative visions, policies, and leaders to the governing party. They scrutinise government decisions, policies, and actions – and play oversight over the executive and the public administration. They defend the voters’ interests – not only their constituencies, but all the country’s voters.”

    Indeed, opposition parties’ capacity to show the electorate they are credible alternatives is crucial to the credibility of the democratic system. The strength of the opposition in a democracy plays a key role in the quality of that democracy and, by extension, the effectiveness of the state. Gumede adds that, “a democratic system is significantly undermined if the opposition does not offer any credible alternatives to the governing party, is invisible in the public debate or does not have a public profile beyond during elections.”

    Read Also: 2027: Thoughts on opposition machinations

    Although many will reckon that 2027 is still a long time and according to a Yoruba adage, the sun out there can still dry the clothes, nonetheless, it is doubtful if the opposition as currently constituted in Nigeria is capable of ousting the APC in 2027.

    This is why I surmise this way: the major opposition parties, the PDP, Labour Party, and of course NNPP are neck deep in crisis. They parade fragile leadership with seemingly unending court litigations. Generally, the opposition seems too uncoordinated and lacks focus. Any alliance by such groups can only be fickle and fissiparous. These opposition politicians are being driven by personal ambition, and not the interest of the country.

    Also, the matter of power rotation between the North and South over two terms is also an important factor that may work against the opposition. This factor and the machinations over 2027 may have prompted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George George Akume and APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje to ask the North to wait till 2031 for another shot at power, arguing that President Muhammadu Buhari from the North had done eight years in office and that the South should be allowed to complete its eight years as well.

    APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru spoke on this seeming emptiness of the disgruntled opposition groups. In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune published on Wednesday, February 12, he doubted if the opposition parties had what it takes to successfully cobble a merger or form a united front against the APC.

    He declared: “The question is, for the economic policies of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, what are the alternatives that the opposition has brought out, beyond just planning for the 2027 election. If 2027 comes, what do they want to campaign with, and what alternatives are you giving the people? They don’t have any alternative. The so-called opposition groups are just power-mongers. The only job they have is that they want to access government power for personal aggrandizement without any program or policies for the Nigerian people. I’m not a soothsayer, but they will not be able to merge because all the leading opposition figures are driven by personal ambitions.”

    Do I agree with the APC National Secretary? I think so.

    •Rahman is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media, Publicity and Special Duties.

  • Misrepresentation of PAN Nigeria

    Misrepresentation of PAN Nigeria

    SIR: We appreciate The Nation for its continued commitment to delivering accurate and insightful business reports to the Nigerian public. However, we wish to bring to your attention a gross misrepresentation in your publication of February 11, wherein you stated that DPAN took over the then Peugeot Automobiles of Nigeria (PAN).

    We wish to inform you that Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria (DPAN) did not take over PAN Nigeria Limited. PAN Nigeria, previously known as Peugeot Automobiles of Nigeria, before a name change on January 5, 2012, is a distinct and fully operational entity as a multi-brand automobile assembly plant, continuing its legacy in Nigeria’s automotive industry. PAN Nigeria, which was incorporated in 1972 and commenced operations in 1975 at its comprehensive plant in Kaduna, has transitioned beyond its historical ties and now assembles a variety of vehicle brands, in line with its strategic vision.

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    We kindly request that The Nation accurately reflect this distinction and prevent any further misinterpretation within the industry and among the public.

    • Helen Mashat, PAN Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna.
  • Nigeria versus Binance’s Gambaryan

    Nigeria versus Binance’s Gambaryan

    SIR: Nigeria is one of the most important countries in Africa and a key player in the global Black community. Its economic strength, strategic geographic location, and influence in international affairs have made it a major hub for investment and business. It is no surprise, then, that Binance and its leadership were drawn to Nigeria, seeing the country as a lucrative market.

    However, recent developments involving Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan have raised serious concerns. His wild and unsubstantiated allegations against high-ranking Nigerian officials and lawmakers are not just an insult to the nation but a blatant attempt to blackmail and tarnish Nigeria’s image. Such reckless accusations should not be ignored, as they undermine the country’s sovereignty and credibility on the global stage.

    The government must not take this matter lightly. Further diplomatic, legal, and economic measures should be pursued against Tigran and his company, Binance, to ensure that such behaviour is met with firm consequences. If Nigeria fails to act decisively, it risks setting a dangerous precedent—one where foreign actors can manipulate narratives, evade responsibility for economic crimes, and attempt to pressure the country through international channels.

    This situation is not happening in isolation. In early 2024, Binance was accused of operating illegally in Nigeria, engaging in forex manipulation, and conducting economic activities that destabilized the Naira. Both Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla were arrested and charged with money laundering and illicit financial transactions. While Anjarwalla managed to escape, Tigran was released on diplomatic, health, and compassionate grounds—a gesture of goodwill that is now being repaid with hostility.

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    Nigeria cannot afford to tolerate individuals like Tigran, who not only engage in questionable financial practices but also resort to baseless and outrageous accusations against the country’s leadership. If strong and unapologetic action is not taken, we will likely witness more figures like Tigran exploiting diplomatic loopholes and using ‘below-the-belt’ tactics to evade accountability for their economic crimes.

    The government must further explore all available legal options, including international legal action and targeted economic sanctions against Binance, to hold those responsible accountable. Nigeria is not a playground for foreign business entities looking to manipulate its financial system while disrespecting its institutions and high ranking officials including lawmakers.

    Nigeria has the capacity to defend its interests and safeguard its stability. It must act decisively to ensure that those who attempt to undermine its economy and reputation face the full weight of the law. If necessary, international diplomatic channels should be leveraged to demand a formal apology from Tigran Gambaryan.

    Nigeria’s sovereignty, financial stability, and international standing must be protected at all costs. Any attempt to blackmail or pressure the country must be met with strong resistance, ensuring that Nigeria remains in control of its economic and political destiny.

    • Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja.
  • The hypocrisy of northern elites

    The hypocrisy of northern elites

    SIR: The recent barrage of attacks and acerbic criticisms directed the way of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a section of northern elites is quite befuddling. Having ruled Nigeria and had been in charge of her economy and other critical sectors for a majority of the part of her existence, one would have thought that these elites had learnt how not to blame others for their woes but look inwards to ask themselves some critical soul-searching questions. This will, at least allow them know where the rain started beating them so as to know how to retrace their steps and do the right things for both their region and the entire nation.

    The nation has for so long sacrificed merit in all her areas of life just to accommodate the seemingly perpetual backwardness of the north by introducing quota system in federal tertiary institutions and the federal civil service. This might sound harsh but truth is not so kind in some circumstances.

    Many brilliant candidates with impressive performances in both JAMB and WAEC/NECO from the south have been denied admission to federal tertiary institutions over the years just to accommodate candidates from the north with unbelievably ridiculous scores. Yet, every year, what gets priority attention of some governors of the region is wasteful commitment of billions of naira in organizing mass weddings for an economically and socially disempowered people.

    Rather than call their governors to order, Tinubu who is just only over a year in power is their focus. Where were these same northerners when Buhari nearly brought the nation to its knees without anything to show for it whether in the north or south? Trillions upon trillions of our budgetary spending were frittered into thin air without any meaningful impact on the people. Over two years to 2027, the inordinate quest for power suddenly becomes the priority agenda of these northern elites.

    With the many imbalances in favour of the north in the polity, a genuine reform agenda to ensure equity, efficiency and a merit-based society would always look like an agenda against the north. When the CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso initiated reforms in the Central Bank of Nigeria, wherein some relevant departments were moved to Lagos, it was the north that made a noise about it. When the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo initiated similar reforms in the aviation sector, it was the north that kicked against it. Up till today, they enjoy a lot of privileges from President Tinubu, but they are still the same ones unleashing all manner of media attacks against him, crying and throwing tantrums like petulant children denied their toys.

    As early as April 2024, less than one year into his presidency, some northern elders started heating up the polity by saying they would not vote for Tinubu in 2027. They have been singing the same song since then and it even got louder recently. This is despite the fact that the north has a good number of their people as federal ministers and even dominate both the ministerial and extra-ministerial appointments in our defence sector.

    This same president created a ministry of livestock development in deference to the north. This is in addition to the regional development commissions, even though that was created for all the other regions as well. The north enjoys federal rail projects that are absent in some other region. They, like the southwest, enjoy the benefits of gas pipelines running through them even when the north has no gas reserves. The southeast, despite its enormous gas reserves, has no gas pipelines passing through it.

    Read Also: Alake seeks northern elites’ support for Tinubu’s economic policies

    Majority of Nigeria’s foremost military training institutions and formations are in the north; yet, it is the north that cries loudest about political power whenever other regions have it.

    When one looks back at how the north has frittered away the enormous opportunities, you wonder why the north seems to always want to hold on to power at all cost and at the expense of other regions even when they enjoy better deals under presidents from other regions than the ones from theirs. The question then arises, what does the north really want?

    • Jude Ndukwe, Abuja.
  • Africa and the Trump challenge

    Africa and the Trump challenge

    SIR: United States President Donald Trump has, true to his campaign promise, been implementing radical policies that continue to stir mixed reactions globally. Through his executive orders, he has deported many undocumented immigrants, levied import tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. He has also announced his country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the scrapping of USAID, an agency that intervenes in health programmes like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria particularly in developing countries including Nigeria.

    These draconian policies have sparked fears and condemnation.

    Although President Trump can claim to be fulfilling his campaign promises to the American people, we can only hope that he re-evaluate some of the policies.

    For instance, the new tariff imposed on good and services will have catastrophic effects on the global economy and thus induce a backlash. The increase in tariff will lead to inflation and push more countries into recession.

    Though he has appealed to Americans to be patient as the new tariff is for the collective good of the country, the move will do more harm than good to international trade.

    His decision to cut off aid to African countries has also come like a thunderstorm. African countries have enjoyed the grant from US for decades. The aids which amount to billions of dollars are meant to combat poverty and disease. However, these funds have, more often than not, been corruptly embezzled by African leaders with little or nothing to show for it.

    With African countries among the worst hit by Trump policies, health education and other programmes that require emergency funding are likely to be affected. However, the countries can mitigate the effects by diversifying their funding sources and exploring alternative partnerships. For instance, the countries can seek funding from other countries, international organisations and private investors.

    Read Also: Trump should be a wake-up call!

    Besides, there is the need to strengthen regional partnerships. Regional economic communities like the African Union, ECOWAS, and SADC can provide a platform for African countries to share resources, expertise, and risk. African countries can focus on increasing domestic revenue through taxation, improving tax administration, and leveraging natural resources.

    Moreover, the countries can explore partnerships with other countries in the Global South, such as China, India, and Brazil, all of which can provide alternative funding and technical assistance. They should also prioritize investment in critical minerals, after all, many African countries are rich in critical minerals like crude oil, cobalt, lithium, and nickel etc. and so can leverage on these resources to negotiate better trade and investment deals with the US and other countries. By adopting these strategies, they countries can reduce their vulnerability to aid stoppages and promote sustainable economic development.

    • Ibrahim Mustapha,

    Pambegua, Kaduna State.

  • An Open Letter To Donald Trump

    An Open Letter To Donald Trump

    Mr. President, over the last 15 months your country America has subjected the people of Gaza to mass murder, genocide & ethnic cleansing.

    You armed, assisted & enabled the State of Israel to murder, by your own admission, hundreds of thousands of innocent Gazan civilians the vast majority of whom were women & children.

    You turned their once beautiful country into a poisonous, stinking, uninhabitable, burnt flesh-filled, rodent-infested sea of landmines & sulphurus rubble & into an ocean of foul, rotting, verminous body parts.

    You did this by supplying Israel with the most deadly modern weapons including 2000 pound bombs which they unleashed on a weak, impoverished & defenceless civilian population in what can only be described as the most barbaric slaughter in modern history.

    You crushed them in body, spirit & soul.

    Yet your nation was still not done. As soon as you were sworn into office, to the horror of the civilised world, you declared your insidious intention to displace the 1.6 million Gazans that are still left alive (there were originally 2.5 million) & take over their land in order to develop it into a “prime piece of real estate” & a “beautiful holiday resort” for rich Americans!

    These are the homes & ancestral land of the Palestinian people who have been living  there for over 2000 years.

    This is the land in which their loved ones & families have been caged, butchered & buried by your murderous Zionist friends for the last 76 years.

    This is the place in which millions of them have fought & died for the last seven decades in order to preserve their honor, dignity, heritage, history & identity & leave something for generations of their children yet unborn.

    You went further by publicly stating that you were “committed to owning Gaza” & that “we will let other countries develop parts of it: it will be beautiful. People can come from all over the world to live there.”

    In conclusion you said “the Palestinians would have no right to return when they leave”.

    As Ambassador A. M. Shawesh, the Palestinian Ambassador to India rightly said,

    “When a real estate developer rules the world no one will be spared, everyone will follow”.

    Your lack of empathy for the plight of the women & children of Gaza is appaulling.

    Your inability to feel their pain & acknowledge their tears betrays the fact that you lack compassion. 

    You not only want to take the little that is left of it from them but you also want to send the 1.6 million Gazans that have been left alive to Egypt & Jordan (both of whom have outrightly rejected the proposal) & turn their homeland into a holiday spot filled with American hotels, American holiday homes, American escorts & American casinos.

    You fail to appreciate the fact that  to stand with Gaza is to stand with humanity. 

    This sentiment is shared by the majority of nations including Ireland, South Africa, Brazil, China, Russia, Iran & Spain who have taken the lead in this cause.

    It is not only the Muslims and Arabs that feel this way: His Eminence Pope Francis and the majority of Christians throughout the world do as well.

    Killing innocent women & children, subjecting them to mass murder, ethnic cleansing & genocide & forcefully displacing them & taking over their land cannot be justified under ANY circumstances.

    Is this so difficult to comprehend?

    You will recall that Vice-President Kashim Shettima eloquently stated the unassailable position of the Nigerian people when he said the following at the United Nations General Assembly:

    “Today we are all witnesses to the heart-wrenching situation in Gaza & other Palestinian Territories. Justice is antithetical to revenge. Freedom is an inalienable right & a natural entitlement that cannot be denied to any people. The Palestinian people deserve their independence. They deserve to have a home of their own on territories already recognised by this very Assembly & by international law which is being routinely ignored.“

    His words reflect the position of no less than 149 countries  that recognise the State of Palestine as an independent, sovereign nation.

    I am proud of the fact that my country has taken such a noble stand and, unlike yours, has chosen to stand for peace & justice. 

    I have always admired you because of what I believed to be your reverence for God, your Christian values, your stated intention of pulling America out of foreign conflicts, your rapprochement with Russia, China & North Korea, your opposition to the globalists & your support for the nationalists. 

    Again I have always respected you because of the way you stood strong and proud in the face of the persecution that you were subjected to by the Deep State.

    Yet despite my respect I am constrained to tell you the truth.

    This is not the time for platitudes or spouting the cowardly words of a quisling & lickspittle.

    I must be candid.

    Permit me to begin by saying that your proposition for Gaza is an expression of unadultetated evil.

    Whilst others are rightly talking about establishing a two state solution where both the Palestinians & Israelis can live in peace you are talking about America taking over Gaza for itself & forcefully acquiring its offshore gas & oil reserves.

    Read Also: Don’t allow selfish politicians incite us against Tinubu, Hunkuyi tells northerners

    Is there no end to your greed? Is your insatiable desire to pillage & steal other people’s land & wipe them off the face of the earth just to gain access to their natural resources not of the devil?

    Is this not the same thing that your white American forefathers did to the Red Indians?

    Is this not what Pharaoh, Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun, Christopher Columbus & Adolf Hitler did to others in their time?

    Did they not annihilate their victims, driving many into extinction, subject them to a holocaust and take their land?

    Is it not the same violent, butchering, slaughtering, conquering, plundering  & pillaging spirit that drives you all?

    Then come your puerile gaffes & brazen threats which are reminiscent of that of a school yard bully.

    For example when you say things  like “all hell will break loose if Hamas does not release all the hostages by Saturday” you betray the fact that you do not know that Hamas is far stronger today in terms of resolve and numbers than it was before October 7th.

    This came as a consequence of the massive number of Palestinian women & children that were butchered post-October 7th by Israel in the name of retaliation.

    Hamas have been energised by their quest for vengeance & if they had 10,000 fighters before October 7th they now have at least 200,000.

    The more innocent Palestinans you kill the stronger Hamas will get.

    This is why Gaza has been described as the “graveyard of imperialist delusions”.

    Worse still the “hell” that you threaten to unleash may well engulf Israel and the entire Middle East.

    Surely an attempt to ensure that the ceasefire is not broken & that negotiations for the release of hostages on all sides continue is better than issuing threats which may well endanger the lives of the very hostages that you are trying to save.

    I pray that you cultivate the presence of mind to appreciate this point. 

    Your obsession with meddling in the affairs of other nations & laying claim to their territory, whether it be Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal, the Gulf of Mexico, South Africa, Colombia or Gaza is symptomatic of a troubled mind.

    If you are not threatening other countries with taking over their land or withdrawing aid, you are threatening them with trade tariffs in an attempt to bring them to their knees.

    Worse of all your disdain for  immigrants & desire to send them back to where they came from in chains without any humanity & dignity or lock them up in Gauntanamo Bay whilst at the same time offering white South Africans refugee status is shameful.

    It also provides us with a graphic expression of your inherent racism.

    Your aversion to immigrants &  categorisation of them as being “criminals, gangsters, murderers & mentally deranged people” is shameful.

    Permit me to remind you that you are the grandson of a German immigrant, the son of a Scottish immigrant, the husband of a Slovenian immigrant & the ex-husband of a Czech immigrant.

    You were a beneficiary of America’s  immigration policies yet you hate immigrants with a passion & seek to not only stop them from entering your country but also to deny foreigners that are born there citizenship rights & abolish the ‘birth right law’ which is embedded in your constitution.

    Such is your contempt for immigrants that Pope Francis was constrained to say the following in order to ameliorate the pain and damage that your vitriol has caused.

    He said,

    “I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant & refugee brothers & sisters.”

    ‘Making America Great Again’ does not mean destroying the aspirations of others & does not give you the right to intimidate, threaten, subjugate & conquer the world!

    You would do well to remember that it was the collective prayers of millions to God that delivered you from the assassin’s bullet on two separate occassions, that stopped you from being sent to jail & that got you to where you are today.

    Those same prayers will bring you to your knees if you refuse to change course.

    May God guide you.

    •(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism and a former Minister of Aviation).

  • 2027: Why Tinubu will emerge as president

    2027: Why Tinubu will emerge as president

    • By Ayo Adegboye

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a small fry regarding national politics. The name BAT alone is an institution that should be studied as implied by many political observants.

    Tinubu has fought and won many battles, yet he is still standing. At this stage, Nigerians must admit some bitter truths. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds the ace. His grip on the political structure in the country is firm. Politics has been his first address and politicking has been his core strength since over three decades ago. This trajectory can be gleaned even before his days as the governor of Lagos State, down to his emergence as the governor, the zonal godfather, supporting many governors across the Southwest zone and beyond. Not quickly forgetting the pivotal role he played in Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as the APC presidential candidate in 2015 and the eventual victory of the party wresting power from the dreadful PDP.

    The intrigue and stories of how Asiwaju became the presidential candidate of the APC in the last general election and how he became victorious with his vocal assertions (EMI LOKAN) is still a mystery that only he can unravel.

    Tinubu said it was his turn despite stiff betrayal and opposition, yet he won. It is indeed only BAT that can get away with such political stubbornness and arrogance.

    He is a man of great preparedness, calculation, forgiveness and resources at his disposal.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will contest and win the 2027 Presidential elections because there are no genuine oppositions in place. The PDP today is in shambles and comatose to engage such a high-ranking Tinubu-led Federal government in a contest. For the past sixteen years, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held sway, and the lives of Nigerians did not get better, unfortunately, the party is in a comatose. It is Atiku today, Wike tomorrow or Damagun next tomorrow, a scenario that has turned the once lively party which boasted to rule for sixty years into a laughing stock among a committee of onlookers.

    Read Also: Don’t allow selfish politicians incite us against Tinubu, Hunkuyi tells northerners

    The Labour Party (LP) which came as a child of necessity and circumstances has been swept away by the circumstances that gave birth to it. The party has lost its steam. The opportunity which they got in the last general election was grossly mismanaged and surely they cannot get such again. This I  mentioned in my article in the year 2022 before the general election which they ignored.

    The crisis rocking the party today is an indication that all is not rosy with the party. I foresee a greater problem for the party as the general election draws near, as this will permanently bring an end to the party.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom I’m not his friend, is the only candidate who is spiritually, physically, and resourcefully ready as of today.

    Tinubu has been in solid alliances with the northern oligarchy that controls the royal and religious hegemony and this relationship has been there for years regardless of any oppositions or alliances that have been planned by a group of political parties or people. The Eastern political elites are not left behind coupled with Southern political heavyweights. These are people who play real politics and understand the BAT political dynasty beyond the mere politics that is being played on paper.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows his worth and because his support base transcends any particular region, an edge over others,  he will come tops in 2027.

    My advice to the Igbos on the street is to rally around Tinubu come 2027.

    •Ayo Adegboye is a political analyst and media practitioner cityplusmedia57@gmail.com