Author: TheScrutinyNG

By Kassim Afegbua Opposition politics in Edo State clearly carries the unfortunate burden of hate, bad blood and undue provocations. Since after the gubernatorial elections of 21 September 2024 which returned Senator Monday Okpebholo as the winner, members of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party–PDP, obviously stultified, have decided to invest heavily in scurrilous and false propaganda. They churn out press statements which subject matters and analyses define their intent and lay bare their idiocy; their reportage constantly weaves together their burdens of naked hate, agony and pain. They never mistakenly praise the governor for his good deeds before pointing out…

By Kassim Afegbua If a person who has not entered an office offers to hold sway for a fraction of the allowable time if allowed, I would suspect his motives. Who is to taste and see now? Is it us the citizenry that are to taste Peter Obi, or is it him who desperately just needs to taste the Office of the President of Nigeria? Obi’s desperation for power, has brought up his latest bromide. For him to offer to spend only four years in office if allowed is suggestive of political radiculopathy; he’s taken to a baby deceit, that…

By Kassim Afegbua Is former President Goodluck Jonathan really warming up to try his hands on the 2027 Presidential contest? After much cogitation, my conclusion is that scammers have successfully lured him into the fray; they want to feast on him again, as they did in 2015 when he was voted out. Nigerians still remember that GEJ as he is popularly called was never in charge during his presidency. He loaned his moit to the following people, who became co-presidents during his tenure: Mrs Patience Jonathan, Dezieani Allison, Stella Oduah, and Okonjo-Iweala. These powerful women were GEJ’s co-pilots when…

By Kassim Afegbua  These Obidients will stop at nothing to push his case. A few days ago, I had an encounter with one of Peter Obi’s supporters who tried to engage me on the validity of Obi to preside over Nigeria. This friend of mine, also a political associate, understands the dynamics of Nigeria’s ethno-political configuration; he asked me a pointed and probing question, in trying to unclad my political sentiments for 2027.  Prince, he asked, “don’t you think Peter Obi is the best material for 2027 presidential election?” Looking at him without batting my eyes, I answered, “I don’t…

By Kassim Afegbua Looking at the politicians forcing a match under the cantilever called ADC, is redolent of a rehash of weather-beaten records with cracked rhythms. From Rotimi Amaechi, to Nasir El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, Bolaji Abdullahi, Odigie Oyegun, Mr. Grasscutter, Babachir Lawal, Tom Ikimi, Peter Obi, Sule Lamido, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and others, these political geriatrics, whose main motive is essentially a self-serving diadem, and  ought to know that their adventure in coalition politics is dead on arrival. If the coalition were populated by men of honour, bearing even a negligible modicum of scruples, they would have known that…

The lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has insisted that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, should inform Governor Monday Okpebholo before visiting the state. Oshiomhole said it is a matter of decency and self-respect for Peter Obi to do so ahead of his visit. Okpebholo had earlier warned Obi last week against visiting the state without prior security clearance, linking a recent trip by the former presidential candidate to a security breach that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three people. However, the governor’s remarks were greeted with widespread criticism, with many accusing…

By Kassim Afegbua I have read so many contortions and translations of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s advisory to Peter Obi over the latter’s visit to Edo state a week ago. If only they understood Okpebholo’s tenor in making that remark, all the twists, contortions and conclusions would be needless. What is right is always right: as a matter of course, Peter Obi ought to extend courtesies to the incumbent governor of Edo state, Governor Monday Okpebholo, before such a visit. Indeed, as a former Governor this is known to him. At the moment, he holds a position that makes it mandatory…

By Kassim Afegbua  After suffering unprintable names, from being unlettered, to being a panel beater, he endured odious campaigns without boundaries, and remained unfazed and unruffled. Governor Monday Okpebholo, naturally a man of few words, speaks louder by action than words. Step by step, he soldiered on and eventually trounced his opponents. Till date, Asue Ighodalo has not recovered from the pummelling which Okpebholo hauled to him. It is obvious albeit, that Governor Okpebholo has an enormous overflow of God’s anointing and grace which have combined to break obstacles in his way. Watchful, tactful, diplomatic, God-fearing, emotionally intelligent and psychologically…

By Kassim Afegbua  What we hear now in political  discussion, hovers around Politics of Entitlement and of Monologues. It is now Politics of “Our North” and their Nigeria. Politics of sprawling poverty and weaponization of destitute rural folks; a tailored army for political thuggery drawn from the barracks of the Almajiris. These people were the trump card for the Northern politicians, who out of season are our collective conundrum. If anyone took a tour from Gwagwalada to Kaduna, Kaduna through Zaria to Kano, Jigawa to Katsina, Abuja to Jos, to Bauchi through Damaturu to Maiduguri, the obvious would be the…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has been urged to order the detained leader of the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu to enter a defence in the terrorism charge in respect of which he is being prosecuted. Prosecuting lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who made this request during Friday’s proceedings, also urged the court to reject the no-case submission made by the defence. He prayed the court to instead, order him to explain why he engaged in terrorism activities that promoted violence and destruction, including the killing of not less than 170 security officials. Awomolo,…