celebrity radar - gossips
ATIKU ABUBAKAR and the audacity of Hope.
‘’The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership, there is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character, there is nothing wrong with Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else’’_
Prof. Chinua Achebe.
Nigeria’s near inchoate democracy in spite of almost nineteen years of the fourth republic typifies the piquant cliché “the sweet and sour.” Our chequered history is riveting, No gainsaying, the sour tastes of unfulfilled promises, failed governance and a defunct change agenda outstrips the expected “sweet” dividends of democracy. So far in our annals and at fifty-eight years of independence, our sign-post can best be described as a moribund ‘work in progress.”
Ironically, our country’s pride of place amongst the comity of nations in Africa can never be over emphasized. The signification of Nigeria’s status within the African continent be it in her population, one out of every five African is a Nigerian. We are rich in abundant repository of natural resources as well as a relatively urbane and upwardly mobile intellectually capable citizenry with a mammoth global reach.
Painful as it is with the litany of our national inadequacies, one can best be pacified by the undeniable fact that we are expected as a nation to be a leading force in building strong states, veritable democratic institutions, enduring and modern economies. In the sight of our sorry impasse and persistent clamor for a national rebirth is the profound question, when will our leaders navigate our pathetic history out of the maelstrom? Is it the wrenching poverty besetting majority of the people, the primordial ethnic creeds that instigate dichotomy and finally the wracking vortex of corruption which has decimated the very fabric of our existence? Even the alternation from civilian to military rule and vice versa in our quest for a better Nigeria did not yield the anticipated beacon of light that ought to have illuminated our trajectory to greatness.
Perhaps the most tragic of issues bedeviling our nation is the consistent lethargy and failure to attain our full economic potentials, the attenuated democratic dividends and a nefarious political class. We have a nation which merely thrives on the brinks of our potentials rather than forging enduring monuments that will make Nigeria great. we breed a votary of recalcitrant ethnic sentiments and religious bigots that limit and enervate our capacity to build a great country. It is disconcerting to say the labyrinth we have descended showcases our self-deceits, greed and dissonance. The grand larceny, perfidy and trickle-down effect associated with our political leaders is such that voters for a morsel of cake and a mess of pottage sell their birthrights through the permanent voter’s card. Like Dele Giwa of blessed memory once wrote “Nigeria a nation where nothing works”- Newswatch magazine. 1985. The man will obviously die a second time given the opportunity to witness the level of our decadence thirty-three years after.
When you ponder at the indefensible agitations that our political leaders canvass in national discourses and the tapestry of our political life, they have inordinately intruded in our common senses by promoting their selfish whims and caprices to becloud any reasonable sense of patriotism. It is evident that in this guise our spirit of nationalism becomes seemingly distorted, we seek for things that divides us as against the unifiers. Our yardsticks of success and accomplishments as a nation is measured thereafter in warped antiquated indices mainly because the political class is consumed with an indefeasible satanic agenda to subjugate the rest of us right down to the fourth generation.
We seek for fluent and lucid paths in our trajectory to a better Nigeria because our confidences in the present A.P.C. led government has irredeemably waned. The social contract necessitated by the dubious political slogan “Change’’ merely created an anachronism in tune with the party’s name “Apathy Pandemonium Corruption.”
President Barrack Obama did say “if the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists, to protect them and to promote their common welfare, then all is lost” The 2019 elections will assuage our yearnings, a watershed and an opportunity for stock taking. It will be a time for veritable choices far removed from the diatribe and narcissist posturing of the ruling A.P.C. Late eminent author and critic Prof. Chinua Achebe captured it succinctly that “the Nigerian problem is the willingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility to challenge personal examples which are the hallmark of leadership” painfully begging issues ranging from unbridled penchant for sectional political appointees, the former SGF Babachir lawal debacle, the ikoyi gate $43m loot, the Ogoni clean-up and a host of others. Contrary to the much vaunted position of President Buhari’s anti-corruption mantra is a disingenuous attitude akin to what late Dim Emeka Ojukwu surmised as a case of “selective amnesia” in the mindset of the President such issues are mere figment of our imaginations.
We are mindful to the shenanigans of the A.P.C led government and the devious “change mantra” needless to say, the change we aspire for is ostensibly in the eradication of “the poverty of the mind” so that we can vote in a leader that understands the intersection of realistic policies and playing politics leveraged on well thought out economic blueprints and guided by social justice driven on a focused leadership with the ability and vision to harness men and women of similitude in enlightenment, integrity and uncommon patriotism . I daresay that our hopes are rekindled and I am persuaded to prognosticate that we are weary but not subdued neither will the pontifications of the A.P.C. hoodwink well-meaning Nigerians.
Our expectations inclines to the inevitability of a new era that will ultimately dispel the raging storms of conflicts across the country from the brigandage of the Fulani herdsmen to the Boko haram insurgency, spates of kidnapping and abductions etc. Come February 2019, we will through the ballot box call forth a new leadership with clarity of purpose that will meet the lofty yearnings of the common man .Indeed, an Atiku Abubakar Presidency will birth an era of rising tides of prosperity and quicken the still waters of much desired peace which has eluded some parts of the country.
Nigerians assuredly recognizes the options before us come February 2019, obviously the right choice is an Atiku team[A-Team] at the helm of affairs. Every vote cast for Wazirin Adamawa will be an eloquent repudiation of the A.P.C. government, our votes will mark an epoch as well as monuments for us and generation yet unborn because through the ballot box we will challenge sense of lethargy ,hopelessness, resignations, frustrations and the hypocrisy of an oppressive capricious A.P.C led government . An Atiku Presidency will further defeat the militating factors that impede our journey to a deserved greatness amongst the comity of nations. In deference to President Obama and for our people in the intervening months leading up to the elections, Our votes will proclaim “an end to the petty grievances, lopsided corruption, insurgency, nepotism and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas that for so long have strangled our politics” Alhaji Atiku Abubakar buoyed by the audacity of hope on your imminent emergence as the next civilian President of our beloved country. I make bold to write that your mandate to rule Nigeria come 2019 is a “divine call” merely vested on you in trust and as a caretaker for the masses of Nigeria. It is neither for any emerging cabal nor political mongers even the over patronized elites cannot appropriate undue benefits. It would be in recognition of the “unsung, uncelebrated and anonymous Nigerians. Men and women scattered across the nooks and crannies, from the creeks of the Niger-delta to the slums of Ajegunle, Ogbunabali,Okpoko as far as the hillsides of the mambila,chibok, bakkasi peninsula etc Obscured and unacknowledged in their daily enterprise of toiling to eke out a living, struggling against all odds with an unmatched resilience and ingenuity encouraged by individual industry for survival, in most cases just to put food on the table and merely meet the basic needs of the youth and children.
It is a clarion order and God will judge you harshly if you fail to meet the yearnings of the people, HE has been inestimably benevolent to you in your quantum accomplishments in life, it is payback time. Needless to point out the incumbent fact you will address in tandem with the National Assembly and stakeholders to the project Nigeria the clamor for a restructured federation, bring to an end such unwholesome and shameful enterprise of fuel importation, insecurity, dearth and decay of social infrastructure and most importantly economic degradation. The votes of the people will be a sacred charter, a social contract that will dismantle the pervading parochial interests, nepotism and mediocrity which has been the nemesis to a true egalitarian Nigeria. It is not a tentative inkling but an audacious hope that your emergence as the fifth Executive President in the fourth republic come May 2019 will engender policy thrusts which would erase stale political promises and practices that stagnates our economy, democracy and most times diminishes our stature before the international community. We hope for a vital reengineering which will consign to the dustbin of history those glaring bad habits of our political leaders and further promote realistic templates that will justify our common good . As well as encourage enduring convictions on the supremacy of our country as a “unifying vessel to our providential destinies as Nigerians.
This piece was written by
Asika –Richard Lukusa, an Entrepreneur and member of the ATIKU SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT from Abuja
Why Babangida’s Hilltop Home Became Nigeria’s Political “Mecca”.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s birthday visit to Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) in Minna (where he hailed the octogenarian as a patriotic leader committed to national unity) was more than a courtesy call. It was a reminder of a peculiar constant in Nigerian politics: the steady pilgrimage of power-seekers, bridge-builders and crisis-managers to the Hilltop mansion. Jonathan’s own words captured it bluntly: IBB’s residence “is like a Mecca of sorts” because of the former military president’s enduring relevance and perceived nation-first posture.
Babangida turned 84 on 17 August 2025. That alone invites reflection on a career that has shaped Nigeria’s political architecture for four decades; admired by some for audacious statecraft, condemned by others for controversies that still shadow the republic. Born on 17 August 1941 in Minna, he ruled as military president from 1985 to 1993, presiding over transformative and turbulent chapters: the relocation of the national capital to Abuja in 1991; the creation of political institutions for a long, complex transition; economic liberalisation that cut both ways; and the fateful annulment of the 12 June 1993 election. Each of these choices helps explain why the Hilltop remains a magnet for Nigerians who need counsel, cover or calibration.
A house built on influence; why the visits never stop.
Let’s start with the obvious: access. Nigeria’s political class prizes proximity to the men and women who can open doors, soften opposition, broker peace and read the hidden currents. In that calculus, IBB’s network is unmatched. He cultivated a reputation for “political engineering,” the reason the press christened him “Maradona” (for deft dribbling through complexity) and “Evil Genius” (for the strategic cunning his critics decried). Whether one embraces or rejects those labels, they reflect a reality: Babangida is still the place where many politicians go to test ideas, seek endorsements or secure introductions. Even the mainstream press has described him as a consultant of sorts to desperate or ambitious politicians, an uncomfortable description that nevertheless underlines his gravitational pull.
Though it isn’t only political tact that draws visitors; it’s statecraft with lasting fingerprints. Moving the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja in December 1991 was not a cosmetic relocation, it re-centred the federation and signaled a symbolic neutrality in a country fractured by regional suspicion. Abuja’s founding logic (GEOGRAPHIC CENTRALITY and ETHNIC NEUTRALITY) continues to stabilise the national imagination. This is part of the reason many leaders, across party lines, still defer to IBB: he didn’t just rule; he rearranged the map of power.
Then there’s the regional dimension. Under his watch, Nigeria led the creation and deployment of ECOMOG in 1990 to staunch Liberia’s bloody civil war, a bold move that announced Abuja as a regional security anchor. The intervention was imperfect, contested and costly, but it helped define West Africa’s collective security posture and Nigeria’s leadership brand. When neighboring states now face crises, the memory of that precedent still echoes in diplomatic corridors and Babangida’s counsel retains currency among those who remember how decisions were made.
Jonathan’s praise and the unity argument.
Jonathan’s tribute (stressing Babangida’s non-sectional outlook and commitment to unity) goes to the heart of the Hilltop mystique. For a multi-ethnic federation straining under distrust, figures who can speak across divides are prized. Jonathan’s point wasn’t nostalgia; it was a live assessment of a man many still call when Nigeria’s seams fray. That’s why the parade to Minna continues: the anxious, the ambitious and the statesmanlike alike seek an elder who can convene rivals and cool temperatures.
The unresolved shadow: June 12 and the ethics of influence.
No honest appraisal can skip the hardest chapter: the annulment of the 12 June 1993 election (judged widely as free and fair) was a rupture that delegitimised the transition and scarred Nigeria’s democratic journey. Political scientist Larry Diamond has repeatedly identified June 12 as a prime example of how authoritarian reversals corrode democratic legitimacy and public trust. His larger warning (“few developments are more destructive to the legitimacy of new democracies than blatant and pervasive political corruption”) captures the moral crater that followed the annulment and the years of drift that ensued. Those wounds are part of the Babangida legacy too and they complicate the reverence that a steady stream of visitors displays.
Max Siollun, a leading historian of Nigeria’s military era, has observed (provocatively) that the military’s “greatest contribution” to democracy may have been to rule “long and badly enough” that Nigerians lost appetite for soldiers in power. It’s a stinging line, yet it helps explain the paradox of IBB’s status: the same system he personified taught Nigeria costly lessons that hardened its democratic reflexes. Today’s generation visits the Hilltop not to revive militarism but to harvest hard-won insights about managing a fragile federation.
What sustains the pilgrimage.
1) Institutional memory: Nigeria’s politics often suffers amnesia. Babangida offers a living archive of security crises navigated, regional diplomacy attempted, volatile markets tempered and power-sharing experiments designed. Whether one applauds or condemns specific choices, the muscle memory of governing a complex federation is rare and urgently sought.
2) Convening power: In a season of polarisation, the ability to sit warring factions in the same room is not small capital. Babangida’s imprimatur remains a safe invitation card few refuse it, fewer ignore it. That convening power explains why movements, parties and would-be presidents keep filing up the long driveway. Recent delegations have explicitly cast their courtesy calls in the language of unity, loyalty and patriotism ahead of pivotal elections.
3) Signals to the base: Visiting Minna telegraphs seriousness to party structures and funders. It says: “I have sought counsel where history meets experience.” In Nigeria’s coded political theatre, that signal still matters. Outlets have reported for years that many aspirants treat the Hilltop as an obligatory stop an unflattering reality, perhaps, but a revealing one.
4) The man and the myth: The mansion itself, with its opulence and aura, has become a set piece in Nigeria’s story of power, admired by some, resented by others, but always discussed. The myth feeds the pilgrimage; the pilgrimage feeds the myth.
The balance sheet at 84.
To treat Babangida solely as a sage is to forget the costs of his era; to treat him only as a villain is to ignore the architecture that still holds parts of Nigeria together. Abuja’s relocation stands as a stabilising bet that paid off. ECOMOG, for all its flaws, seeded a habit of regional responsibility. Conversely, June 12 remains a national cautionary tale about elite manipulation, civilian marginalisation and the brittleness of transitions managed from above. These are not contradictory truths; they are the double helix of Babangida’s place in Nigerian memory.
Jonathan’s homage tried to distill the better angel of IBB’s record: MENTORSHIP, BRIDGE-BUILDING and a POSTURE that (at least in his telling) RESISTS SECTIONAL ISM. “That is why today, his house is like a Mecca of sorts,” he said, praying that the GENERAL continues to “mentor the younger ones.” Whether one agrees with the full sentiment, it accurately describes the lived politics of Nigeria today: Minna remains a checkpoint on the road to relevance.
The scholar’s verdict and a citizen’s challenge.
If Diamond warns about legitimacy and Siollun warns about the perils of soldier-politics, what should Nigerians demand from the Hilltop effect? Three things.
First, use influence to open space, not close it. Counsel should tilt toward rules, institutions and credible elections not kingmaking for its own sake. The lesson of 1993 is that subverting a valid vote haunts a nation for decades.
Second, mentor for unity, but insist on accountability. Unity cannot be a euphemism for silence. A truly patriotic elder statesman sets a high bar for conduct and condemns the shortcuts that tempt new actors in old ways. Diamond’s admonition on corruption is not an abstraction; it’s a roadmap for rebuilding trust.
Third, convert nostalgia into institutional memory. If Babangida’s house is a classroom, then Nigeria should capture, publish and debate its lessons in the open: on peace operations (what worked, what failed), on capital relocation (how to plan at scale), and on transitions (how not to repeat 1993). Only then does the pilgrimage serve the republic rather than personalities.
At 84, Ibrahim Babangida remains a paradox that Nigeria cannot ignore: a man whose legacy straddles NATION-BUILDING and NATION-BRUISING, whose doors remain open to those seeking power and those seeking peace. Jonathan’s visit (and his striking “Mecca” metaphor) reveals a simple, stubborn fact: in a country still searching for steady hands, the Hilltop’s shadow is long. The task before Nigeria is to ensure that the shadow points toward a brighter constitutional daybreak, where influence is finally subordinated to institutions and where mentorship hardens into norms that no single mansion can monopolise. That is the only pilgrimage worth making.
Ajadi Celebrates Juju Legend Femolancaster’s 50th Birthday in the UK
Nigerian Juju music legend, Otunba Femi Fadipe, popularly known as FemoLancaster, is being celebrated today in London as he clocks 50 years of age.
Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a frontline politician and businessman, led tributes to the Ilesa-born maestro, describing him as a timeless cultural icon whose artistry has enriched both Nigeria and the world.
“FemoLancaster is not just a musician, he is a legend,” Ambassador Ajadi said in his birthday message. “For decades, his classical Juju sound has remained a reminder of the beauty of Yoruba heritage. Today, as he turns 50, I celebrate a cultural ambassador whose music bridges generations and continents.”
While FemoLancaster is highly dominant in Oyo State and across the South-West, his craft has also taken him beyond Nigeria’s borders.
FemoLancaster’s illustrious career has seen him thrill audiences across Nigeria and beyond, with performances in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, and other parts of the world. His dedication to Juju music has projected Yoruba traditional sounds to international stages, keeping alive the legacy of icons like King Sunny Ade and Chief Ebenezer Obey while infusing fresh energy for younger audiences
He further stressed the significance of honoring artistes who have remained faithful to indigenous music while taking it global. “In an era where modern sounds often overshadow tradition, FemoLancaster stands as a beacon of continuity and resilience. He has carried Yoruba Juju music into the global space with dignity, passion, and excellence,” he added.
The golden jubilee celebration in London has drawn fans, friends, and colleagues, who all describe FemoLancaster as a gifted artist whose contributions over decades have earned him a revered place in the pantheon of Nigerian music legends.
“As FemoLancaster marks this milestone,” Ajadi concluded, “I wish him many more years of good health, wisdom, and global recognition. May his music continue to echo across generations and continents.”
celebrity radar - gossips
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
Gospel Songstress Esther Igbekele Marks Birthday with Gratitude and Celebration
By Aderounmu Kazeem Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria — The gospel music scene is aglow today as the “Duchess of Gospel Music,” Esther Igbekele, marks another milestone in her life, celebrating her birthday on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Known for her powerful voice, inspirational lyrics, and unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel through music, Esther Igbekele has become one of Nigeria’s most respected and beloved gospel artistes. Over the years, she has graced countless stages, released hit albums, and inspired audiences across the world with her uplifting songs.
Today’s celebration is expected to be a joyful blend of music, prayers, and heartfelt tributes from family, friends, fans, and fellow artistes. Sources close to the singer revealed that plans are in place for a special praise gathering in Lagos, where she will be joined by notable figures in the gospel industry, church leaders, and admirers from home and abroad.
Speaking ahead of the day, Igbekele expressed deep gratitude to God for His mercy and the opportunity to use her gift to touch lives. “Every birthday is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in my journey. I am thankful for life, for my fans, and for the privilege to keep ministering through music,” she said.
From her early beginnings in the Yoruba gospel music scene to her rise as a celebrated recording artiste with a unique fusion of contemporary and traditional sounds, Esther Igbekele’s career has been marked by consistency, excellence, and a strong message of hope.
As she adds another year today, her fans have flooded social media with messages of love, appreciation, and prayers — a testament to the profound impact she continues to make in the gospel music ministry.
For many, this birthday is not just a celebration of Esther Igbekele’s life, but also of the divine inspiration she brings to the Nigerian gospel music landscape.
-
society5 months agoRamadan Relief: Matawalle Distributes Over ₦1 Billion to Support 2.5 Million Zamfara Residents
-
Politics2 months agoNigeria Is Not His Estate: Wike’s 2,000‑Hectare Scandal Must Shake Us Awake
-
society4 months agoBroken Promises and Broken Backs: The ₦70,000 Minimum Wage Law and the Betrayal of Nigerian Workers
-
society3 months agoOGUN INVESTS OVER ₦2.25 BILLION TO BOOST AQUACULTURE
You must be logged in to post a comment Login