The present times in Nigeria have lately been compared to the days of the dark-goggled general, Sani Abacha. Part of what the folk making the comparison are wondering is how we crawled ourselves back into the hole we thought we escaped. So, here is a quick backward glance on the road that brought us here. In the run-up to the 2015 elections, when the “anything but (Goodluck) Jonathan” din was at its zenith, one of the absurdities that characterised the period was the rash of amnesties given Candidate Muhammadu Buhari over his repressive actions as military head of state between…

Recent unilateral decisions by the Indian, American, and British governments are part of a worrying trend in the world’s leading democracies. But instead of resorting to outrage, democrats everywhere should focus their efforts on protecting public debate, reinforcing key institutions, and limiting the personalization of power. By abruptly revokingthe special, constitutionally protected status of Jammu and Kashmir, India has become the latest major democracy to act against a minority community for short-term political popularity. Kashmir will henceforth be ruled more directly from the government in New Delhi, and Hindu nationalists are thrilled. Carefully maintained constitutional arrangements are in tatters. Meanwhile,…