The passing of our revered leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, has left a void that words alone cannot fill. He was not just a leader but a father, a mentor, and an unwavering pillar of strength in my life and in the struggle for a just and restructured Nigeria. Pa Adebanjo was central to my political journey, playing a decisive role in my election to the Federal House of Representatives and my emergence as Leader of the Alliance for Democracy in the House. His wisdom, guidance, and unshakable principles were the bedrock upon which many of us built our political careers.…

There’s a concern that Nigeria could soon become a one-party state, not by law, like in China, but through subterfuge – or in legal terms, de facto – similar to Cameroon, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, or even Rwanda, where the ruling parties are inflicting a slow, painful death on the opposition. Those who express this concern have given many reasons. The clearest and most troubling, it seems, is the wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that has depleted the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Wave after wave Apart from Federal lawmakers from Osun to Kaduna and…

Against the background of ongoing defections to the All Progressives Congress by politicians from the so-called opposition parties, we still harbour the fear of a one-party state as an imminent reality. The truth is, what we run is already tantamount to a one-party system, a short historical distance away from the military era, where the head of state, who creates political parties, also hands political parties their respective defining ideologies. The multi-party democratic system, planked as it is on the distinctiveness of ideas and ideologies between parties, and requires the independence of political agents. Contenders must have equal chances to…

As Nigeria prepares to lay to rest one of its most illustrious sons, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, on May 3, 2025, the nation mourns not just a man but an institution—an unwavering symbol of integrity, justice, and relentless advocacy for true federalism. At 96, Baba Adebanjo departed this world, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations. A Life of Uncompromising Principles Pa Adebanjo was a rare breed—a man whose public convictions were perfectly mirrored in his private life. From his early days as a Zikist to his evolution into one of Obafemi Awolowo’s most steadfast disciples, he remained…