Art x Adẹ

One of the most bizarre proverbs I have come across is: "The Devil you know is better than the Angel you don't." It is a saying frequently used to justify maintaining the status quo in personal relationships, organisations and even political leadership. I find the reasoning behind it rather questionable. Why should familiarity automatically be regarded as a safer or wiser choice than the possibility of something better? Sometimes, this proverb is nothing more than an excuse for resisting change, even when change has become critical to the future wellbeing, progress and survival of an individual or a group. It is a convenient argument for remaining within one's comfort zone, even when that comfort zone has become a prison. Of course, change carries risks, and the unknown deserves careful consideration. But so does the familiar. We should not overlook the damage being done by what we already know simply because we are afraid of what we do not yet know. My argument is si...

The failure of the impeachment initiative against US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is an interesting illustration of how different political interests can pursue entirely different objectives, even when ostensibly dealing with the same issue. What we have witnessed is not necessarily a victory for Hegseth or a vindication of his record. The House voted 211–204 to refer the impeachment resolution to the Republican-led Judiciary Committee, effectively stopping it from progressing at this stage. It did not vote on the substance of the allegations themselves. I had earlier questioned the wisdom of pushing for impeachment at this particular time, especially when the Republican-controlled House was unlikely to provide the necessary support. A failed attempt could give Hegseth and his supporters an opportunity to portray the outcome as an endorsement of his leadership. Clearly, the various actors have different objectives. Thomas Massie may be seeking accountability and to put th...

I find it deeply frustrating and saddening that Nigerians continue to spend so much time debating issues that add little or nothing to the quality of life of ordinary citizens. There are countless compelling reasons why President Tinubu should not be returned to office in 2027. The state of the economy, rising poverty, hunger, insecurity, unemployment, poor governance and the declining living standards of millions of Nigerians should be at the centre of our national political debate. Yet, disappointingly, these are not receiving the serious, sustained attention they deserve from opposition leaders. Instead, we are being subjected once again to the same tired debate about which universities Tinubu attended or did not attend. Haven't we had enough of this? These allegations were already in circulation before the 2023 election, yet they did not prevent his emergence as President. The opposition must wake up to the reality that Nigerians need more than recycled allegations. They need c...

I have coined the word Misgovernism to describe something that goes beyond ordinary misgovernance. It is the systematic normalisation of bad governance, whereby leadership failures become entrenched, institutional accountability weakens, and the suffering of citizens is treated as an acceptable consequence of political power. It is a phenomenon that is not peculiar to Nigeria. We see it in societies where poor leadership, corruption, institutional failures and unfulfilled promises become so commonplace that citizens gradually lower their expectations, while those in power become increasingly unaccountable. The distinction is important:  Misgovernance describes the act or outcome of governing badly. Misgovernism describes the culture and mindset that allow bad governance to become the norm rather than the exception. Perhaps the greatest danger of misgovernism is not simply that leaders govern badly, but that society gradually becomes accustomed to being governed badly. A...

Elon Musk reportedly spent nearly half a billion dollars to support Republican candidates in the just concluded American midterm elections.  With his enormous wealth, global influence and ownership of X, one might have imagined that his financial muscle would translate into considerable political success. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The election results therefore offer an interesting lesson. Money can finance political campaigns, amplify political messages, influence public debate and buy access to corridors of power. Regrettably as we have just seen from the outcome of the elections, even a trilionnaire cannot guarantee the consent of the people..  Musk's political involvement extends beyond America into Europe, where he has openly expressed support for particular political movements and challenged elected governments. This raises important questions about the relationship between private wealth, political influence and democratic accountability. For the a...

I have been wondering why Nigerian politicians, including some of the most notoriously corrupt among them, never seem to have any difficulty placing their hands on the Bible or the Quran when taking their oaths of office. They do so with straight faces, solemn expressions and all the seriousness of people about to enter into a sacred covenant with their Creator. Yet, barely have they settled into office than some of them begin to demonstrate a remarkable kleptomaniac instinct for breaking every promise they made before God and the Nigerian citizens. I have therefore arrived at a rather mischievous conclusion:  Perhaps, just perhaps, they do not take these foreign religions seriously enough! Consequently therefore, my modest suggestiom is that we should return to our traditional religious heritage when administering oaths of public office. Let's amend the constitutional framework that makes it compulsory for our politicians to hold an instrument associated with thunder a...