Category: Business Day

Uche Eme Uche, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Abia State, has observed that Nigeria does not lack people working for themselves; rather, it lacks enterprises that are registered, well-capitalised and standards-compliant businesses that employ others.

Uche made the submission, Friday, October 23, 2026, while delivering a paper titled ‘From Degree to Destiny: Creating Value, Generating Opportunity and Transforming Society’, at a

Pre-Convocation lecture of the 9th – 13th Convocation ceremonies of Rhema University Nigeria, Aba, Abia State.

She noted that self-employment was often a means of survival and may require no degree, while enterprise, by contrast, is a development strategy that education should equip graduates to pursue.

She also said that the World Economic Forum, after surveying more than 1,000 employers across 55 economies, projected that technology and demographic change will create about 170

million jobs and displace 92 million by 2030, a net gain of 78 million.

‘Yet one in five jobs will be significantly disrupted, and nearly four in ten workplace skills will change. Put simply, the world is not running out of work; it is running short of people equipped for the work that is emerging.

‘Africa’s demographics make the issue urgent. Africans now account for about one in five people worldwide and are projected to represent nearly one in four by 2050.

‘The evidence I have set before you today points to a single conclusion: that in an economy where 93 of every 100 jobs are informal, where unemployment is higher among the educated than among the population at large, and where nearly four out of every ten workplace skills will change within five years, a certificate is a necessary condition of graduate prosperity and nowhere near a sufficient one.’

She noted that what closes that gap is not another qualification but the disposition to create value, where none existed, to generate opportunity for people who did not earn it, and to repair the portion of the wall that stands within reach. Nigeria will not be secured by certificates.

‘It will be secured by graduates, who strengthen the institutions they inherit rather than exhaust them, and who serve without needing to be observed doing so.

‘Graduating class, in a few days you will receive a degree; from that moment, the world will ask what you can do with it. Do not wait for opportunity, create it. Do not merely enter society; improve it. Let excellence be your habit, courage your compass, service your purpose, and integrity your unbreakable covenant. Rise above excuses. Outlook limitations, turn knowledge into solutions, privilege into responsibility, and ambition into impact.

‘Wherever you go, leave people stronger, institutions better, and your nation more hopeful; create value and generate opportunities to transform society,’ she said.

The Kwara State House of Assembly has approved a proposed alteration to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide a legal framework for the establishment of state police.

The approval followed deliberations during plenary after the Speaker read a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly requesting the state legislature’s consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment.

Leading the debate, Mogaji Oba Abdulkadri, the House Leader, highlighted the potential benefits of state policing in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

Other lawmakers who contributed to the debate supported the proposed amendment, arguing that state police would bring law enforcement closer to the people and strengthen the protection of lives and property.

They expressed optimism that decentralising policing would enhance security operations and enable law enforcement agencies to respond more effectively to threats at the grassroots level.

Following the approval, Yakubu Danladi Salihu, Speaker of the House, directed Ahmed Olayiwola, the Clerk of the Assembly, to formally communicate the House’s decision to the National Assembly for further legislative action.

Meanwhile, residents of the Kwara State capital have expressed mixed views on the proposed state police framework, with some welcoming the initiative while others called for broader public consultation.

Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, described the proposed state police framework as a welcome development that could help address security challenges at the grassroots.

He said decentralising the security architecture would bring policing closer to communities and improve the protection of lives and property.

‘If we have our own state police, security will be closer to the people, making it easier to protect lives and property at the local level,’ he said.

Yusuf added that his local government was prepared to support the implementation of state policing, noting that community-based security arrangements were already being deployed to tackle criminal activities.

‘In response to the security challenges in our state, we have already been working with local vigilantes to protect our communities. We also collaborate with local hunters and forest guards, who have played a vital role in maintaining security and controlling criminal activities,’ he said.

He expressed confidence that the experience gained from these existing arrangements would support the successful implementation of state policing at the local level.

Similarly, Aliyu Musa, a public analyst, described the proposed amendment as a welcome development in view of Nigeria’s contemporary security challenges.

He said the initiative could bring about a significant shift in the country’s security architecture but stressed the need to prioritise local intelligence in preventing and combating crime.

Musa also urged authorities to ensure that rural communities received adequate attention in the deployment of state police personnel.

‘Local intelligence should be top-notch as a way of making greater impact on crime prevention,’ he said.

However, Florence Emmanuel said the state legislature should have provided an opportunity for residents to express their views before approving the proposed amendment.

Emmanuel said she learnt about the Assembly’s decision through a radio broadcast, arguing that public engagement would have enabled citizens to contribute to discussions on such an important security reform.

‘We just heard on the radio that the bill has been approved by the State Assembly. Ideally, the Assembly should have called people and heard their views about it before approving it,’ she said.

She, however, acknowledged the potential benefits of the proposed reform, adding that public consultation would have made the process more inclusive.

‘Nothing is bad about the move, but at least they should have allowed citizens to express their views and contribute to it,’ she noted.

The proposed state police framework comes amid persistent security concerns across parts of Nigeria, including kidnapping and violent attacks, which have intensified calls for a more decentralised and community-responsive policing system

Uche Eme Uche, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Abia State, has observed that Nigeria does not lack people working for themselves; rather, it lacks enterprises that are registered, well-capitalised and standards-compliant businesses that employ others.

Uche made the submission, Friday, October 23, 2026, while delivering a paper titled ‘From Degree to Destiny: Creating Value, Generating Opportunity and Transforming Society’, at a

Pre-Convocation lecture of the 9th – 13th Convocation ceremonies of Rhema University Nigeria, Aba, Abia State.

She noted that self-employment was often a means of survival and may require no degree, while enterprise, by contrast, is a development strategy that education should equip graduates to pursue.

She also said that the World Economic Forum, after surveying more than 1,000 employers across 55 economies, projected that technology and demographic change will create about 170

million jobs and displace 92 million by 2030, a net gain of 78 million.

‘Yet one in five jobs will be significantly disrupted, and nearly four in ten workplace skills will change. Put simply, the world is not running out of work; it is running short of people equipped for the work that is emerging.

‘Africa’s demographics make the issue urgent. Africans now account for about one in five people worldwide and are projected to represent nearly one in four by 2050.

‘The evidence I have set before you today points to a single conclusion: that in an economy where 93 of every 100 jobs are informal, where unemployment is higher among the educated than among the population at large, and where nearly four out of every ten workplace skills will change within five years, a certificate is a necessary condition of graduate prosperity and nowhere near a sufficient one.’

She noted that what closes that gap is not another qualification but the disposition to create value, where none existed, to generate opportunity for people who did not earn it, and to repair the portion of the wall that stands within reach. Nigeria will not be secured by certificates.

‘It will be secured by graduates, who strengthen the institutions they inherit rather than exhaust them, and who serve without needing to be observed doing so.

‘Graduating class, in a few days you will receive a degree; from that moment, the world will ask what you can do with it. Do not wait for opportunity, create it. Do not merely enter society; improve it. Let excellence be your habit, courage your compass, service your purpose, and integrity your unbreakable covenant. Rise above excuses. Outlook limitations, turn knowledge into solutions, privilege into responsibility, and ambition into impact.

‘Wherever you go, leave people stronger, institutions better, and your nation more hopeful; create value and generate opportunities to transform society,’ she said.

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho will return to competitive action next month at 46 years old, with Italian third-tier club Ravenna announcing that the former World Cup winner will feature in a derby against Forlì on November 15.

The move was first announced in June and will mark a return to the pitch for the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker, who retired from professional football in 2015.

Ronaldinho, who won the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil and the 2005 Ballon d’Or, has also become a shareholder in Ravenna, a club based in northern Italy.

The Brazilian is targeting his 300th career goal as he prepares for his comeback.

‘The wait now has a date: Sunday, November 15,’ Ravenna said in a statement on Saturday.

‘The Brazilian legend will wear the Ravenna FC shirt in the derby against Forlì. An event that will turn the eyes of the world towards the Bruno Benelli Stadium.’

The club added that the announcement had generated excitement and disbelief among fans, with anticipation building since the move was first revealed in Miami and Ronaldinho’s subsequent reception at Marina di Ravenna.

‘The whole football world thought it too good to be true. Instead, we can now officially confirm a grand return: the return of the magic, the smile, and a talent that has captivated generations of fans,’ the club said.

Ravenna are second in Group B of Italy’s third tier, six points behind leaders Spezia, and are seeking promotion to Serie B for the first time since 2008.

Ronaldinho last played professionally for Brazilian club Fluminense in 2015. His return to the game is expected to draw global attention, with the club describing him as a player whose creativity and charisma transcended club loyalties and generations of supporters.

‘There are footballers who are remembered for what they have won and others also for how they made people feel,’ Ravenna said. ‘Ronaldinho belongs to that rare breed of champions capable of turning football into pure joy.’

Brazil would on October 25, 2026, take the hand of Nigeria to political school, the second in one month. The first one, like in kindergarten, Brazil showed the world, nay, Nigeria, that it is possible for a developing country to conduct an election without rancour, vote buying, and violence.

Coming closely to the time Nigeria is about to go to the polls in January, 2027, there is no reason to give excuses by Nigeria. The first round of the presidential election in Brazil took place on October 4, 2026; in that election, the incumbent President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro locked horns looking for a fair share of the 158.7 million votes from voters, in the end, no ballot box snatching, no burning of results sheets, and results were known same night, while the runoff was rescheduled for October 25.

With a population of approximately 213.8 million to 214.2 million people in 2026, according to Worldometer Brazil tracker, Nigeria’s own population hovers around same figures.

Indeed, Nigeria and Brazil share a lot in common: large population, diverse federation, high inequality, and history of military rule. Brazil has over 158.7 million voters while Nigeria has over 103 million registered voters. Such high volume of voters in Brazil is as a result of the fact that Brazil made voting compulsory for every adult citizen, unlike Nigeria where voting is optional.

The first round of election in Brazil has come and gone, with so many lessons, however, the issue is, if a country like Nigeria is ready and humble enough to learn without feeling too big.

Election in Nigeria has become a four-yearly national political event which keeps testing the nation’s strength, maturity, civility, unity, among other indices of civilization, sometimes it appears the nation will simply break away, but in the end it will not, some see it as a game, some see it as serious business, while still it is seen as a necessary end because there is no other credible alternative to democracy.

Indeed, Nigeria’s democracy continues to go by the baptismal name, nascent, in another it is still a young adult, since independence and its republican stage from there up to the present Fourth Republic. Many a time, the nation’s elections are characterised by violence, rigging, cutting corners, many a time election are rigged before the actual voting, many a time, constituencies are delineated to favour a political party, codenamed gerrymandering, sometimes it comes in the form of appointments of the members of electoral commission, they tell them that they are independent, when they are not really.

Again, they make sure they make the judiciary beggarly by appointing their cronies as those in charge of the judiciary so that what they need is for the electoral umpire to pronounce them winners, the rest would be handled by the judiciary, you don’t need to call them, already they know what to do. The pre-election rigging did not exclude those that make laws as they continually create loopholes for manipulation to favour the highest bidders, depending if the election is at state or National level. As in Nigeria, we talk about using paper to right result when there is network issues, but Nigerians have argued that such clause has no meaning, that if bandits, terrorists and kidnappers in the remotest forests can make videos of their activities and there is no network issues, that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should do better by finding solution so as to make the election in Nigeria truly electronic, because technology doesn’t lie. As it is Brazil has been using complete electronic means to conduct election since 1996.

Of course, that is the bane of Nigeria’s electoral system. From the First Republic down the line, election in Nigeria has never come without complaints. The one that remains indelible in the minds of the people is the 1993 election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in Nigeria, but what happened, the then military president, General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election.

It took the doggedness and patriotic stubbornness of the then Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu to declare that result, and of course, the military authorities never liked what he did, in fact Prof Nwosu, it was who made it possible for Nigerians to know that the election was won by the accountant-turned businessman, socialite and philanthropist, Moshood Abiola.

That election, if you noticed, is also indicative of lack of accountability in our nation. In a twinkling of an eye, General Babangida cancelled years of planning, sleeplessness, dreams, party engagements, public and individual spending and all of that went down the drains. How much was spent in that 1996 election? The parties that took part in the 1993 general election spent between N120 million to N1 billion.

Even looking at it, it is not for want of good laws, but it is the potentialities of the politicians to cut corners, because they know that this is a game where there is no second position, the nation also practices winner-takes-all, so, it becomes a do-or-die affair, especially when that politician has either not done his homework and assignment well, he wants a shortcut by all means.

Obviously, Brazil used 100 percent electronic voting machines, which they have started using since 1996. No paper ballot to snatch, no ink to smear. All that was needed was, you press, it records, it transmits encrypted to the electoral court (TSE) and Result of the election was in 2-3 hours.

In contrast, for Nigeria, BVAS/IReV is good progress, but still depends on manual collation and upload, which creates loopholes.

In the Brazil presidential election, because no one got 50percent + 1, the two presidential contenders are now expected to go to a runoff on October 25, 2026, to decide the winner. That’s where the real lesson for Nigeria is.

In the Brazilian Election the whole votes were counted same day with electronic machines, by TSE, no ballot snatching. What is TSE? The Brazil’s Tribunal Superior Eleitoral or Superior Electoral Court in English, is not just an organiser, it is a court. It can arrest, fine candidates, remove fake news within hours, but in Nigeria, INEC is administrative. It still needs police and courts to enforce. Brazil shows that when the electoral umpire has judicial power, impunity drops.

Another lesson is that voting is compulsory in Brazil, 53percent of voters are women. Civic education starts early. People see election as duty, not do-or-die. In Nigeria, there is still voter apathy and thuggery, voting is also optional.

In Brazil no godfather control of ballot materials. Also in Brazil, there is no ‘collation centre chaos’ because there is almost nothing to collate physically. Logistics failure is near zero because machines are deployed weeks ahead and tested publicly.

There is swift punishment for electoral violence, and in Brazil, trying to disrupt election is a federal crime with immediate arrest. In Nigeria, ballot snatchers often walk the street free, and top politicians usually what happens to voting from their mansions.

If we want Brazil-like elections, we must move from human-managed to system-managed elections, make BVAS work offline and transmit automatically, give INEC prosecutorial powers like Brazil’s TSE, and punish electoral offenders on election day, not 3 years after.

Brazil proved that even a deeply polarized country, son of jailed ex-president vs sitting president can be in contest without violence as the system makes violence useless.

Nigeria must learn from international best practices even as it concerns election. The will of the people must be upheld in all election, just as Brazil has just demonstrated.

Idris Shuaibu, Kaduna-born politician contesting the ADC governorship position in his state, said: ‘The current general election taking place in Brazil is a test case for democracy especially Nigeria. As usual, it’s a cycle that’s usual after every 5 years. It’s a contest between the two ideological divides of the left and the right. Current President Lula Da Silva and his long-standing rival Flavio Bolsonaro of the left and the right of the centre respectively. Lula scored about 46 percent while Flavio scored 47percent of the votes cast.

For Adetokunbo Pearse, no country in the world is perfect. ‘No democracy is without flaws’, he said.

He further said: ‘You notice even though they would say there is corruption in Brazil, the electoral commission would do the right thing; if he doesn’t do the right thing, they would kill the national chairman, they would burn his house down. In France, 6000 people arrested, over 200 schools shut down, 20 schools burnt, teachers, parents, students’ unions, on the streets asking for good education’ as the people protest.

ýMore than 860 traffic incidents and 17 deaths were recorded on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road between January and October this year, while the Otedola Bridge corridor logged 365 incidents and 15 fatalities over the same period, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), disclosed.

ýOlalekan Bakare-Oki, general manager of the authority, disclosed the figures on Thursday during a media briefing organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation in Lagos, raising fresh concerns over road safety along major transport arteries facing heavy vehicular pressure.

ýBakare-Oki said that the high casualty figures reinforced the urgent need for stronger safety advocacy, improved emergency response, and more effective traffic management across the state.

ýHe explained that the agency had expanded its operational focus beyond conventional traffic control to encompass public engagement and rapid incident response on state roads.

ý’Over the years, LASTMA has been able to evolve from a mere traffic control organisation into a sophisticated institution that has focused on road safety, citizens’ engagement, and quick response to traffic incidents on Lagos roads,’ Bakare-Oki said.

ýHe noted that Lagos faced persistent mobility challenges due to its compact landmass and intense vehicular concentration, which placed immense strain on existing transport infrastructure.

ýLagos occupies approximately 0.4 percent of Nigeria’s total landmass but accounts for one of the highest concentrations of vehicles in West Africa, creating a persistent imbalance between available road capacity and traffic volume.

ý’Our core responsibility is to ensure seamless mobility despite this limitation. Our concentration has been on the major crossing points, especially to reduce the damage on these roads,’ Bakare-Oki said.

ýHe revealed that the agency was collaborating with federal authorities to investigate the underlying causes of road deterioration and traffic accidents along the Otedola Bridge-Kara axis. A joint inspection team led by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos and the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation recently examined the corridor to evaluate structural and operational vulnerabilities.

ýBakare-Oki added that technical assessments would extend beyond Otedola Bridge to encompass other high-density transport links requiring targeted interventions.

ýMeanwhile, LASTMA is expanding operational readiness ahead of the December festive period, during which heightened commercial activity, leisure travel, and tourism historically increase gridlock across the metropolis.

ýBakare-Oki said the agency would deploy more than 2,000 personnel to high-density hubs, including Victoria Island, Lekki-Ajah, Surulere, and Ikeja, to maintain traffic flow and curb congestion. Heavy-duty recovery vehicles will also be pre-positioned at strategic locations to expedite the clearance of broken-down vehicles and reduce crash response times.

ýThe agency will also introduce a 24-hour operational shift system, deploying personnel on overnight duties from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to manage late-night traffic.

ý’For Detty December proper, LASTMA has put in place robust traffic management. We have done it before; it is not new to us. But what we are bringing in this time is to step up our traffic management,’ Bakare-Oki said.

Fashion is one of those industries that looks incredibly beautiful from the outside. We see the collections, the campaigns, the fashion shows, the carefully styled photographs, and the excitement that comes with launching something new. What we do not always see is the amount of work that goes into keeping a fashion business alive after the excitement has settled.

I have come to understand that there is a significant difference between creating a beautiful product and building a successful fashion brand.

One requires creativity. The other requires creativity, business discipline, consistency, financial understanding, and the ability to make difficult decisions.

And while the fashion industry continues to attract talented designers and entrepreneurs, I believe we need to have more honest conversations about the business behind the beauty.

As the founder of Paciencia, a Nigerian fashion brand specialising in handmade leather bags, this is a subject that matters deeply to me. Building a brand has reinforced my belief that good design is only the beginning. The real challenge is creating a business that customers trust, that can compete in its market, and that has the capacity to grow.

Fashion Is Creative, but It Is Also Commercial

One of the biggest misconceptions about the fashion industry is that a great product will automatically find its audience.

It is an understandable assumption. When you have invested time and effort into creating something you believe in, it is natural to expect people to recognise its value.

But the market does not always work that way.

A beautifully designed handbag can attract attention without necessarily generating sales. A fashion collection can receive praise without producing enough revenue to cover its costs. A brand can become popular on social media and still struggle to remain profitable.

This is the reality that every emerging fashion entrepreneur must eventually confront.

Creativity gives a brand its identity, but commercial understanding gives it the opportunity to survive.

Fashion entrepreneurs must understand their customers, their costs, their pricing, and the market they are trying to serve. They must know what makes their products relevant and why someone should choose them over the many alternatives available.

These are not conversations that diminish creativity. They are the conversations that make it possible to keep creating.

The Real Cost of Building a Nigerian Fashion Brand

Running a fashion business in Nigeria comes with its own set of challenges.

The cost of materials, production, packaging, logistics, marketing, and daily operations can place considerable pressure on emerging brands. For businesses working with leather and other specialised materials, maintaining quality while managing costs requires particularly careful decisions.

There is also the question of pricing.

Customers want beautiful, durable products at prices they consider reasonable. At the same time, businesses must account for the actual cost of producing those products, compensate the people involved, and generate enough income to continue operating.

Finding that balance is not always straightforward.

At Paciencia, where our focus is on handmade leather bags, I believe it is important to recognise the value of craftsmanship in the broader conversation about pricing.

A handmade product involves more than the cost of its raw materials. There is the design process, the skill required to bring the product to life, the attention given to its finishing, and the time invested in making sure the final piece reflects the brand’s standards.

When consumers compare handmade leather bags with mass-produced alternatives, they may not immediately see these differences.

That is why fashion brands must become better at communicating value.

We cannot assume customers will automatically understand what goes into our products. We have to tell those stories clearly, while ensuring that the quality of what we offer supports the promises we make.

A Fashion Brand Is Not the Same as a Fashion Business

I believe this distinction deserves more attention, particularly among emerging Nigerian fashion entrepreneurs.

Starting a fashion brand has become more accessible in many ways. Social media allows entrepreneurs to introduce their products to customers without immediately investing in physical retail spaces. Digital platforms have created opportunities for independent designers to build audiences and sell directly to consumers.

These developments are encouraging, but they have also made it easy to confuse visibility with business success.

Having a recognisable brand name, an attractive Instagram page, or a successful product launch does not necessarily mean a business is financially healthy.

A sustainable fashion business needs systems.

It needs a clear understanding of inventory, cash flow, production timelines, customer service, and profitability. It needs processes that do not collapse every time demand increases or an unexpected challenge arises.

Most importantly, it needs a long-term vision.

The question should not only be, ‘How do I sell my next collection?’

It should also be, ‘What kind of business am I building, and will the decisions I make today support where I want it to be in five years?’

That shift in thinking is essential.

Why Brand Identity Matters in a Crowded Fashion Market

The Nigerian fashion industry is filled with creativity. New clothing labels, handbag brands, accessories businesses, and independent designers continue to enter the market, giving consumers more options than ever before.

While this is a positive development, it also means that standing out requires more than simply having attractive products.

A brand must have a recognisable identity.

For me, this is one of the most important lessons in the business of fashion.

Customers should be able to understand what a brand represents, the type of products it creates, and the value it offers.

At Paciencia, our identity is closely connected to handmade leather bags, thoughtful design, and an appreciation for craftsmanship.

I believe a handbag should be both practical and expressive. It should serve a purpose in the everyday life of the person carrying it while contributing to their personal style.

That understanding influences the kind of brand we are building.

It is also why I believe emerging Nigerian handbag brands must resist the pressure to follow every trend.

Trends can create opportunities, but they can also distract businesses from their original vision.

There is nothing wrong with responding to changing consumer preferences. Fashion is constantly evolving, after all. But a brand should be able to evolve without losing the qualities that make it distinctive.

A strong identity gives customers a reason to remember you. Consistent delivery gives them a reason to return.

The Customer Is at the Centre of Every Successful Fashion Business

One thing I believe fashion entrepreneurs must never forget is that we are not creating products for ourselves alone.

We are creating for people with different lifestyles, expectations, preferences, and purchasing decisions.

Understanding those people is a major part of building a successful brand.

In the handmade leather bag business, for example, customers may be drawn to a product because of its appearance, but their satisfaction often depends on much more.

They consider how comfortable it is to carry, how easily it fits into their daily routine, the quality of its finishing, and whether it meets their expectations over time.

The experience does not end when a customer makes a payment.

Communication, packaging, delivery, and after-sales support all influence how people remember a brand.

For emerging fashion businesses, these details can become powerful competitive advantages.

A customer who has a positive experience is more likely to recommend a brand, make another purchase, or become part of the community around it.

And in an industry where trust is so important, those relationships are invaluable.

Nigerian Fashion Brands Must Think Beyond Social Media

Social media has played a significant role in the growth of independent fashion businesses. It has made it easier for emerging brands to reach audiences, showcase products, and communicate directly with potential customers.

But I believe fashion entrepreneurs need to think beyond social media as their primary growth strategy.

An online following is useful, but it is not a substitute for a sustainable business model.

Brands need to invest in discoverability, professional websites, customer relationships, retail opportunities, and distribution channels that allow them to reach people beyond their existing followers.

For Nigerian leather bag brands like Paciencia, having a strong digital presence is about more than posting attractive product photographs.

It is about helping customers discover the brand when they are actively searching for handmade leather bags, Nigerian handbag designers, or accessories that reflect their personal style.

It is also about making the buying experience clear and convenient.

The businesses that will grow are not necessarily those making the most noise online. They are the ones that understand how to turn attention into trust, trust into purchases, and purchases into lasting customer relationships.

The Opportunity for Nigerian Leather Goods and Accessories Brands

When discussing the future of Nigerian fashion, I believe we need to pay more attention to the business potential of accessories.

Clothing often dominates the conversation, but handbags, footwear, and leather goods are important parts of the fashion economy.

A well-designed handbag has the ability to become part of someone’s everyday life. It can move between different occasions, complement different outfits, and remain relevant beyond a particular fashion season.

This creates opportunities for brands that understand design, functionality, and consumer needs.

There is also room for Nigerian fashion businesses to develop stronger positions in the premium and contemporary accessories markets.

However, that opportunity must be supported by consistent product quality, credible branding, and sound business practices.

We cannot build competitive fashion businesses on creativity alone.

We need to pay attention to sourcing, production standards, customer expectations, and how our products are presented in the marketplace.

I would love to see more Nigerian handmade leather bag brands gain recognition for the quality of their work, not simply because they represent local creativity, but because they offer products that customers genuinely value.

That is an ambition I carry into the journey of building Paciencia.

The Future of Fashion Belongs to Brands That Understand Both Design and Business

I am optimistic about the future of the Nigerian fashion industry.

There is no shortage of talent, ambition, or creativity. What we need is an equally strong commitment to building businesses that can support those qualities over time.

We need more conversations about financial literacy, production efficiency, customer retention, access to funding, and the realities of scaling a fashion business.

We need emerging designers to understand that business knowledge is not separate from their creative journey. It is part of what makes that journey sustainable.

And we need consumers, investors, and industry stakeholders to recognise the economic potential of fashion beyond the glamour associated with it.

For me, building Paciencia is an opportunity to bring these ideas together.

It is about creating handmade leather bags that reflect our design philosophy while building a Nigerian fashion business with a clear identity and long-term ambition.

There will always be new trends, new collections, and new brands entering the industry. That is part of what makes fashion exciting.

But the brands that stand the test of time will be those that understand what they offer, who they serve, and how to deliver value consistently.

A beautiful product may introduce a brand to the world, but it is the strength of the business behind it that determines how long that brand remains relevant.

That, to me, is the real business of fashion.

When the much-anticipated ‘Odigbose – The play ‘ made its debut at MUSON Centre, Onikan, on October 17, 2026, it did not disappoint.

All the elements of African theatrics combined to give vent, colours, vibrancy and true meaning to the historic narrative of the theme of the dramatic production based on the slave trade story.

The Agip Hall, venue of the premiere, on that fateful Saturday night, welcomed a mixed gathering made of Nigerian and international audience; all lovers of theatre, music, dance and rich entertainment, to its bowels.

The cosmopolitan audience was held spellbound by the historic and stage presentation nuances of ‘Odigbose – The Play’, written and directed by Wanle Akinboboye; renowned tourism investor and developer. He is also the creator of the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort brand, an award-winning African-themed resort, known for its promotion of a mixed blend of African cultural heritage and hospitality motifs, amidst a splash of elegance and modern opulence.

The dramatic piece penned and directed for live theatre by Akinboboye, took the subdued audience back to happenings between the 16th and 19th centuries. An unravelling of the tragic moment that is better forgotten in the history of Africa.

An era of betrayals, enslavement, suffering, and pains inflicted on an innocent generation and people by brutish and heartless slave merchants, who offered all forms of inducements to the unsuspecting leaders to betray the trust and confidence of their people in selling them out for peanuts to the merchants who subjected them to some of the most inhumane treatments under harsh conditions, weathers and environments.

For Akinboboye, who has added another stripe to his growing armour of creative ferment and investment in humanity, ‘Odigbose – The Play’, was more than an historic and entertaining piece.

It was a creative and literary work that explored an alternate narrative from the perspective of an African, who knew the pains and sufferings that his forebears were subjected to and has through the years committed himself to not just repudiating it but reversing it by investing in the promotion of the best of Africa through his Continent Building and Motherland Beckons platforms and of recent, IPADA Initiatives.

He noted on the night that the dramatic piece was inspired by his desire to reverse and correct what he described as the misrepresentation of the African side of the story by outsiders.

Akinboboye noted that for centuries the story of the transatlantic slave trade had been told by others, adding that with ‘Odigbose’, Africa was reclaiming its voice.

According to him, ‘Africa tells its own story, in its own rhythm, with its own tears and its own truth, with its author, director, cast and crew within its hallowed soil.

‘The story of the African slave trade has been told by outsiders in different ways, often misrepresenting the African side of it.

‘A wrong impression has been presented that it was our kings who were willingly selling their subjects to the white men, but with this play, we try to correct that impression.’

He described most of the slaves from Africa soil as prisoners of war, not just slaves as painted by the slave masters and their European collaborators.

‘The white men supplied weapons to the African kingdoms and set them against one another to buy prisoners of war.

‘They knew that no one would willingly hand over people, so they brought arms and weapons of war so that armies could go to war and they could have prisoners of war,’ he said.

Produced by Atunda Entertainment, Akinboboye’s musical and entertainment productions company, ‘Odigbose – The Play’ premiere, was a truly African theatre, with rich display of music, songs, dance, choreographed movement, pageantry, and costumes, as well as poetic and oratory display.

The premiere was under the auspices of Motherland Beckons – IPADA Initiatives in conjunction with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

As expected, the members of the audience were thrilled, entertained, educated and inspired by the production, describing the evening as well-spent and a fulfilling one.

Tunde Babalola, renowned Nigerian award-winning scriptwriter, who is also the screenwriter for the film version of ‘Odigbose’ currently under production, said, ‘It was a tremendous experience for me because I last watched that play about 20 years ago when it was staged at his Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos resort, La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort. I based my film adaptation screenplay on that stage play I saw then’.

”Bravo to the cast and crew, bravo to Wanle Akinboboye and bravo to Atunda Entertainment Productions for staging such a great production.”

Eniola Adejare Fabamwo, a justice with the Ogun State High Court, described Odigbose as an interesting and thought-provoking performance.

She shared her reflections on the importance of historical awareness and the value of theatre in preserving cultural heritage, saying: ‘The play was interesting. I came across the invitation online, and being a lover of history, especially historical theatrical performances, I was naturally interested in attending.

‘What particularly surprised me was that a production of this nature, staged at such a prestigious venue, was being offered to the public free of charge. I consider this a commendable initiative and appreciate the organisers for making it possible.

‘The history of the slave trade has always been of particular interest to me. Understanding our past is essential to appreciating our present and making informed decisions about our future. Historical productions such as this bring events beyond the pages of books, presenting them in a manner that is both engaging and instructive.

‘I would particularly encourage young people to attend performances of this nature. While social and recreational activities have their place, we should equally make time for cultural and educational events that broaden our knowledge and deepen our understanding of our heritage.’

She commended and expressed appreciation to Akinboboye for the production: ‘I thank Wanle Akinboboye for this initiative and acknowledge the efforts of the cast and production team. The performance was colourful, engaging and provided valuable insights into aspects of the slave trade and its historical significance.

‘I hope that more opportunities will be created for the public, particularly the younger generation, to experience historical and cultural productions of this nature.’

Jani Ibrahim, an engineer and national president, NACCIMA, said that history has been corrected. ‘Tonight, history has been corrected for the past, present and future generations. We are no longer in the dark about what actually transpired during the slave trade. I want to thank Wanle Akinboboye especially for this great historic achievement,’ he said.

For the Daramolas (husband and wife), it was a great evening: ‘We enjoyed ourselves. It has been a great evening.’ The wife added; ”we saw Odigbose. I cried a little (laugh). The drums. The story of our people being taken away, it touched us.’

Abayomi Davies, an art enthusiast and music teacher, said that he was impressed by the cast. ‘Their comportment on stage, the line delivery, it was so real like the play was actually taking place in real life. And that is essentially what a good cast injects into a stage play.’

‘The part that impressed me most was the wrestling match. There were so many people on stage all at the same time, yet everyone had their significance and they all played their various roles very well,’ Lilian Okechukwu said.

”Also, the love scenes looked very real. Are you sure those two are not deeply in love in real life?”

Wasiu Babalola, a professor with Atiba University, commended the historical presentation, saying; ‘There is no better time to tell our stories than now. And we must tell it in our own way. In our own younger days, we learnt about the slave trade from films like The Roots, the story of Kunta Kinte produced by the West.

”But now our children use the Internet to get the information. So, we have to tell this story in a manner so they will understand what actually happened.’

According to Babalola, a professor of Hotel Management and Tourism, ‘When you say Odigbose, it means you are leaving. It is bye-bye forever. Now we are saying Odigbose. And that word now has more meaning to our tradition: that despite all we faced, we are still here.’

Several persons who have worked closely with Nyesom Wike in the Niger Delta give insight, saying anytime he wants to contest for position, he innocuously floats a political group that would appear to work for the party he belongs to, but at the appropriate time, the group would spring fire and displace the parent party. So, the group would feed on the parent party and spring surprise when ready, and discard the carcass.

Blessing Nwikina, a man who served in the information womb of the Rivers State Government and worked with all governors and principal officers of the Brick House, pointed to a familiar body (GDI – Grassroots Democratic Initiative) Wike formed before 2015 with which he overthrew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.

With GDI, the chairman, the chairman, became the chairman of the PDP while Wike replaced Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as governor, and has worked hard to keep Amaechi or his supporters out of power.

Nwikina, a well-known public commentator, writer, and former government media official, thinks history is about to repeat itself but this time at the national level.

He thus regretfully said: ‘It is just that we are a people who forget so easily. If you recall, when the buildup to the election of the minister, then as a governor, was around the corner, and then people were angry that he was forcing himself, another Ikwerre man, after Amaechi to become a governor. People were opposed to it.

‘Before then, he came up with a surreptitious group they called GDI, which later metamorphosed into the political bloc which he used to hijack the election then. It’s the same tactics which he wants to export to the national level, and they now call it Rainbow Coalition.’

The information expert and political analyst stated: ‘My own description of it is that it’s just the insincere strategy of someone who is used to fraudulent achievements and fraudulent tactics. If he was sincere, he could have declared his intention, and not to come under Rainbow Coalition to foster an underlying tool of his political ambition beyond 2031.

‘It’s unfortunate that the polity or the people do not see anything about a tactic that holds no promise. I mean, how can you foster lyrics over achievements? I don’t know what to point to in terms of either physical or doable achievement that you can say, ‘These are what he has achieved.’

He said election is not a war. ‘Elections are the decisions of people, or supposedly. But when you say election, ‘I will do election, I will win, I will’-that means you are insulting the people who vote because you’re trying to tell them that owning a PVC, going to the polling booths, and voting is a waste of time because. You are saying, ‘I already captured it.”

Rainbow as Wike’s brand:

Many say now that GDI has served its purpose and produced influential partners who have now joined Wike to move to the national level, this group has transformed to the Rainbow Coalition, but maintaining all its modus operandi.

Since Wike even while he was still governor fell in love with the rainbow concept, he began painting all his businesses in rainbow colour. Some of his fierce followers call him ‘high tension’. Soon, his chain of supermarkets began to be known as ‘Hypercity’, but with rainbow colours. From these businesses, observers get the message of power and coalition.

Wike’s friends and foe alike believe the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors were right to show fear over the intendments of the Rainbow Coalition post 2027.

Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chief and strong ally of both Amaechi and Atiku Abubakar, contributing to this inquiry, the APC Governors’ fear is very justified if people were to consider the brain and character behind the ‘Rainbow Coalition’, who he said has established himself as a deadly strategist and schemer.

He said: ‘Wike, not minding my different opinion about most of his political actions, is someone who pursues and commits whatever is at his disposal to accomplish his mission whether such a mission is right or not right.

‘Wike reasoning of setting up the Rainbow Coalition is nothing but to prepare for his 2031 presidential election; and whatever he needs to destroy or dismantle to achieve that makes no meaning to him.

‘In this regard, if it entails endangering the reelection of Bola Ahmed Tinubu or ensuring that most of the APC Governors are not reelected makes no meaning to him.’

Eze said the only person that seems to understand the danger that Wike portends is the President’s wife who he said has voiced out the danger that Wike’s Rainbow Coalition portends to the reelection of her husband.

‘Wike ensured that PDP, Nigeria’s most outstanding political party, is destroyed. So, what makes him not to destroy APC which he sees as a cancerous party.

‘It is too late to checkmate Wike as he has vowed to see that most of the Governors are not reelected.

‘If Wike’s 20231 election bid is to be truncated, it is for Nigerians to ensure that Tinubu is not reelected to save Nigeria, not necessarily about Tinubu’s evil plots against Nigeria and Nigerians with his proposed taxes and undemocratic laws to accomplish his third term agenda but save Nigeria from being sold off by Wike if he is to succeed him in 2031.’

The north may match him money for money: Atoivgba, middle-belt voice:

Pockets will decide:

Garshagu Atovigba, an associate Professor of Mathematics Education from the Moses Orshio Adasu University of Makurdi (MOAUM), in his contribution as a onetime editor and publisher and now a lecturer, also believes that Rainbow Coalition is a pet project to upstage the ruling party and the major opposition parties to emerge as the next power force for Aso Rock.

He told BusinessDay: ‘Whether Rainbow Coalition may make impact at 2027 and 2031 elections? That depends on the size of their pocket and whether they will remain cohesive up to 2027 and 2031 elections.

‘If Tinubu believes in them and grants them enough funds they shall definitely pull the strings for him at 2027 polls. Because elections hinge much on resources in the hands of stakeholders especially local opinion leaders of which the Wike group are opinion leaders in their localities.’

Atovigba did not factor Wike’s deep pocket and his years of accumulation plus his control of Rivers State and Abuja.

The professor went on to say: ‘Rainbow Coalition may succeed if they remain cohesive at 2027 elections by fixing Tinubu reelected and possibly winning some state governorship seats. The idea is to survive at state levels and to control resources of the states of individual members of the coalition.

‘Control of resources is at the heart of politics in all societies. At federal level the coalition can easily succeed in having Tinubu elected if Tinubu releases enough funds for them to do what the president is aspiring for. Nigerian electorate hardly vote candidates owing to their merits but what local influencers tell them. The coalition members are local influencers in their localities. But is the coalition found in each state of Nigeria? No. They are not much available in most northern states.

‘First, Kwankwaso still controls Kano which stakes second highest registered voters. Second, 19 northern state governors have been pooling N2b or N38b monthly under the toga of security funds. But security toga is an alibi for what those govs would do both at 2027 and 2031. If 19 northern govs unanimously support Tinubu then Tinubu automatically gets reelected.

‘Their N38b monthly times six years would pool N2.592 trillion by 2031 and that will be enough funds to field one of them as the next president of Nigeria in 2031. They will overwhelm the rainbow coalition in 2031. Thus, in summary the 19 northern governors are a threat to the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition both at 2027 and 2031 presidential and governorship elections.’

Oby Ndukwe: APC governors should definitely be threatened

Another strong political observer who knows Rivers politics inside out, having worked closely with or under most principal actors is Oby Ndukwe, a journalist, publisher, analyst, and multi-tasking expert.

In her considered opinion, the Rainbow Coalition may not become the nucleus of the next powerful national ruling party. She thinks the APC is very strong, and the ADC too, not minding that the ADC would have to prove in January that it is the biggest opposition party. She thinks this would be determined by the number of seats in the National Assembly, the states and the local the State Assemblies, and then of course their performance if they manage to win.

She thinks the Rainbow Coalition may even turn out to be the next biggest opposition movement against the ADC (if the ADC or NDC wins).

Ndukwe, also called the Media FBI because her uncanny insight into most camps in the Niger Delta and Abuja, said she is still watching the Rainbow Coalition to see if they’re going to have a structure where they begin to hold meetings outside the PDP thing or outside the APC.

‘You also need to look at the strength that they need to bring to bear. I mean, Wike is strong. He’s a minister, and if the APC wins the next election, we also wait to see where the President will assign him. That also will determine the strength of the party, because let me tell you, a lot of funds is needed for you to finance a movement. That was why even Tinubu, with all his wealth, couldn’t finance that massive movement that later metamorphosed into APC. He still brought in Muhammadu Buhari because he knew that Buhari had the people even if he didn’t have the money. Gradually, they brought in some others from the nPDP, APGA, CPC, ANPP.’

APC’s fears:

Ndukwe, who began as publisher of the BEAM, agreed that the APC governors were justified to show fears about what Rainbow Coalition may turn out to be after 2027 into 2031. ‘Every politician, particularly those with ambitions, will definitely be threatened.

‘Let me be frank with you, the internal issues or crises within the ruling party and then also from those who are not in APC, but are supporting President Tinubu, it’s all about 2031. That is the truth. Anyone who’s succeeds to hold the structure is likely going to be considered as a running mate to whoever will emerge from the north in 2031.

‘That is if APC wins the election in 2027. So, their fears are germane. That is the truth of the matter. I’m not going to pretend, because I’m not working for anybody. I’m not on anybody’s pay roll, so I have to speak the truth the way it is. Let me tell you, the likes of Hope Uzodinma, the likes of Charles Soludo, the likes of Peter Mbah of Enugu State, the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, the likes of Dave Umahi, and the likes of Wike and Soludo (who are not in the APC), these guys all have their eyes on 2031.’

She said it’s not all about Tinubu’s re-election but about 2031. ‘They are commonly bound on that project, that is the truth. And everyone believes that, ‘If I can do well, if I can deliver, I could get the endorsement of the president, you know, for 2031.’ That is what you’re seeing.

‘That is why Hope Uzodinma is going to forego eight months of his governorship to run for Senate and probably emerge as the Senate President. Even where he does not emerge as the Senate President, he still wants to be in the Senate because he believes probably he will have an advantage. I mean, something can happen and there will be shifting in the National Assembly that could favour him. So, he’s trying to position himself. But the truth is that, as a governor, you’re equally powerful.’

She went on: ‘Let me tell you, because his election is going to be off-cycle, his fears are that by the time his tenure ends, he will not have that power or that push to fight for the Presidency when the time would come.

So, he needs to be in the Senate for the next three years to four, so that it will give him a kind of comfortable cruise to the battle for 2031. Peter Mbah of Enugu State also has his own calculations. He has joined the APC.’

What Wike wants:

Could it be that Wike has convinced himself that he would hardly be allowed to get the slot of vice president in the APC (he is not even a member) as the PDP is a no-go area?

The media FBI vouched: ‘Beyond that, Wike’s intention is to position himself for the 2031 Vice President slot. We know these things. We’re in touch, we are field people, we are connected. I come from the South East and I live in the South-South, and I can tell you that I know politics in the two regions the way I know the back of my hand. I mean, I can tell you that that is the first ambition for Peter Mbah. That’s it, that’s why he’s there. Now, you look at Dave Umahi. He’s doing everything possible to please the President with all the coastal road, all the Abuja-Kano Road, all the infrastructure projects here and there and kind of taking the heat off the government and all that.

‘Of course, he wants to be compensated with the ticket, running mate to whoever that will emerge as the presidential candidate from the North.’

She said Soludo of APGA has also made his own political calculations about the limitations of APGA and the fate of his predecessors (Obi, Obiano). Now, you can see that Obiano is neither here nor there. APGA has not been able to really favor those who served with it.

She said it’s all about a South-East vice president in 2031 and hopes of an eventual presidential candidate thereafter.

‘So, that’s basically what they are looking at. I don’t also want to rule out Alex Otti, even though he has said he just wants to finish as governor and go. Then, look at Nyesom Wike. You think that Wike will just finish all that he’s done and then just retire like that, a young man? No, I don’t see that. He has not also shown that, so I believe strongly that he is also positioning.

‘And that is where the fear comes in, because having a powerful structure as the Rainbow Coalition, though not a registered political party, but it could be tomorrow. It could be, because I don’t know whether PDP will survive from the ashes. So, it’s possible, and then I don’t also see Nigerians really believing in PDP anymore. So, Wike could just form this coalition and it will translate to something bigger.

Wike, a disruptive political thinker: Oby

Ndukwe went on: ‘Already, like I said, it’s spreading to very many states, even though there’s not been any evidence that he has those structures. It’s just that people are beginning to borrow the template and give him the credit. He, I mean, is the convener, and that’s why I said he’s also a disruptive political thinker-not a destructive, get me, a disruptive thinker. That is somebody who thinks outside the box; and that is Wike.’

So, she said, some of the governors in the APC are actually scared that these things may affect whatever plans they have. ‘But I think the bottom line is if President Tinubu wins in 2027, and then maybe endorses somebody as presidential candidate, and then somebody else as running mate. But these things are speculative, ‘All things being equal, ceteris paribus.’ So for me, what should be paramount to them is to ensure that the APC wins and remains in power before you begin to talk about what next. Because in my place, they say you have to struggle for space first before you start struggling for the mat that you’re going to put on the space to lie down.’

Conclusion: Rainbow Coalition, the next biggest thing:

Ndukwe rounded her thoughts up by positing that the Rainbow is the next biggest thing, if it survives in the 2027 elections. ‘So, I think Wike has started off well. Maybe he didn’t even know that it will grow this big, I’m sure. And so if we all have to wait to see what he wants to do, and then like I said, the fears of those APC governors are also germane because they also have almost the same ambition that Wike has. Everybody is eyeing 2031.

Several persons who have worked closely with Nyesom Wike in the Niger Delta give insight, saying anytime he wants to contest for position, he innocuously floats a political group that would appear to work for the party he belongs to, but at the appropriate time, the group would spring fire and displace the parent party. So, the group would feed on the parent party and spring surprise when ready, and discard the carcass.

Blessing Nwikina, a man who served in the information womb of the Rivers State Government and worked with all governors and principal officers of the Brick House, pointed to a familiar body (GDI – Grassroots Democratic Initiative) Wike formed before 2015 with which he overthrew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.

With GDI, the chairman, the chairman, became the chairman of the PDP while Wike replaced Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as governor, and has worked hard to keep Amaechi or his supporters out of power.

Nwikina, a well-known public commentator, writer, and former government media official, thinks history is about to repeat itself but this time at the national level.

He thus regretfully said: ‘It is just that we are a people who forget so easily. If you recall, when the buildup to the election of the minister, then as a governor, was around the corner, and then people were angry that he was forcing himself, another Ikwerre man, after Amaechi to become a governor. People were opposed to it.

‘Before then, he came up with a surreptitious group they called GDI, which later metamorphosed into the political bloc which he used to hijack the election then. It’s the same tactics which he wants to export to the national level, and they now call it Rainbow Coalition.’

The information expert and political analyst stated: ‘My own description of it is that it’s just the insincere strategy of someone who is used to fraudulent achievements and fraudulent tactics. If he was sincere, he could have declared his intention, and not to come under Rainbow Coalition to foster an underlying tool of his political ambition beyond 2031.

‘It’s unfortunate that the polity or the people do not see anything about a tactic that holds no promise. I mean, how can you foster lyrics over achievements? I don’t know what to point to in terms of either physical or doable achievement that you can say, ‘These are what he has achieved.’

He said election is not a war. ‘Elections are the decisions of people, or supposedly. But when you say election, ‘I will do election, I will win, I will’-that means you are insulting the people who vote because you’re trying to tell them that owning a PVC, going to the polling booths, and voting is a waste of time because. You are saying, ‘I already captured it.”

Rainbow as Wike’s brand:

Many say now that GDI has served its purpose and produced influential partners who have now joined Wike to move to the national level, this group has transformed to the Rainbow Coalition, but maintaining all its modus operandi.

Since Wike even while he was still governor fell in love with the rainbow concept, he began painting all his businesses in rainbow colour. Some of his fierce followers call him ‘high tension’. Soon, his chain of supermarkets began to be known as ‘Hypercity’, but with rainbow colours. From these businesses, observers get the message of power and coalition.

Wike’s friends and foe alike believe the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors were right to show fear over the intendments of the Rainbow Coalition post 2027.

Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chief and strong ally of both Amaechi and Atiku Abubakar, contributing to this inquiry, the APC Governors’ fear is very justified if people were to consider the brain and character behind the ‘Rainbow Coalition’, who he said has established himself as a deadly strategist and schemer.

He said: ‘Wike, not minding my different opinion about most of his political actions, is someone who pursues and commits whatever is at his disposal to accomplish his mission whether such a mission is right or not right.

‘Wike reasoning of setting up the Rainbow Coalition is nothing but to prepare for his 2031 presidential election; and whatever he needs to destroy or dismantle to achieve that makes no meaning to him.

‘In this regard, if it entails endangering the reelection of Bola Ahmed Tinubu or ensuring that most of the APC Governors are not reelected makes no meaning to him.’

Eze said the only person that seems to understand the danger that Wike portends is the President’s wife who he said has voiced out the danger that Wike’s Rainbow Coalition portends to the reelection of her husband.

‘Wike ensured that PDP, Nigeria’s most outstanding political party, is destroyed. So, what makes him not to destroy APC which he sees as a cancerous party.

‘It is too late to checkmate Wike as he has vowed to see that most of the Governors are not reelected.

‘If Wike’s 20231 election bid is to be truncated, it is for Nigerians to ensure that Tinubu is not reelected to save Nigeria, not necessarily about Tinubu’s evil plots against Nigeria and Nigerians with his proposed taxes and undemocratic laws to accomplish his third term agenda but save Nigeria from being sold off by Wike if he is to succeed him in 2031.’

The north may match him money for money: Atoivgba, middle-belt voice:

Pockets will decide:

Garshagu Atovigba, an associate Professor of Mathematics Education from the Moses Orshio Adasu University of Makurdi (MOAUM), in his contribution as a onetime editor and publisher and now a lecturer, also believes that Rainbow Coalition is a pet project to upstage the ruling party and the major opposition parties to emerge as the next power force for Aso Rock.

He told BusinessDay: ‘Whether Rainbow Coalition may make impact at 2027 and 2031 elections? That depends on the size of their pocket and whether they will remain cohesive up to 2027 and 2031 elections.

‘If Tinubu believes in them and grants them enough funds they shall definitely pull the strings for him at 2027 polls. Because elections hinge much on resources in the hands of stakeholders especially local opinion leaders of which the Wike group are opinion leaders in their localities.’

Atovigba did not factor Wike’s deep pocket and his years of accumulation plus his control of Rivers State and Abuja.

The professor went on to say: ‘Rainbow Coalition may succeed if they remain cohesive at 2027 elections by fixing Tinubu reelected and possibly winning some state governorship seats. The idea is to survive at state levels and to control resources of the states of individual members of the coalition.

‘Control of resources is at the heart of politics in all societies. At federal level the coalition can easily succeed in having Tinubu elected if Tinubu releases enough funds for them to do what the president is aspiring for. Nigerian electorate hardly vote candidates owing to their merits but what local influencers tell them. The coalition members are local influencers in their localities. But is the coalition found in each state of Nigeria? No. They are not much available in most northern states.

‘First, Kwankwaso still controls Kano which stakes second highest registered voters. Second, 19 northern state governors have been pooling N2b or N38b monthly under the toga of security funds. But security toga is an alibi for what those govs would do both at 2027 and 2031. If 19 northern govs unanimously support Tinubu then Tinubu automatically gets reelected.

‘Their N38b monthly times six years would pool N2.592 trillion by 2031 and that will be enough funds to field one of them as the next president of Nigeria in 2031. They will overwhelm the rainbow coalition in 2031. Thus, in summary the 19 northern governors are a threat to the Wike-led Rainbow Coalition both at 2027 and 2031 presidential and governorship elections.’

Oby Ndukwe: APC governors should definitely be threatened

Another strong political observer who knows Rivers politics inside out, having worked closely with or under most principal actors is Oby Ndukwe, a journalist, publisher, analyst, and multi-tasking expert.

In her considered opinion, the Rainbow Coalition may not become the nucleus of the next powerful national ruling party. She thinks the APC is very strong, and the ADC too, not minding that the ADC would have to prove in January that it is the biggest opposition party. She thinks this would be determined by the number of seats in the National Assembly, the states and the local the State Assemblies, and then of course their performance if they manage to win.

She thinks the Rainbow Coalition may even turn out to be the next biggest opposition movement against the ADC (if the ADC or NDC wins).

Ndukwe, also called the Media FBI because her uncanny insight into most camps in the Niger Delta and Abuja, said she is still watching the Rainbow Coalition to see if they’re going to have a structure where they begin to hold meetings outside the PDP thing or outside the APC.

‘You also need to look at the strength that they need to bring to bear. I mean, Wike is strong. He’s a minister, and if the APC wins the next election, we also wait to see where the President will assign him. That also will determine the strength of the party, because let me tell you, a lot of funds is needed for you to finance a movement. That was why even Tinubu, with all his wealth, couldn’t finance that massive movement that later metamorphosed into APC. He still brought in Muhammadu Buhari because he knew that Buhari had the people even if he didn’t have the money. Gradually, they brought in some others from the nPDP, APGA, CPC, ANPP.’

APC’s fears:

Ndukwe, who began as publisher of the BEAM, agreed that the APC governors were justified to show fears about what Rainbow Coalition may turn out to be after 2027 into 2031. ‘Every politician, particularly those with ambitions, will definitely be threatened.

‘Let me be frank with you, the internal issues or crises within the ruling party and then also from those who are not in APC, but are supporting President Tinubu, it’s all about 2031. That is the truth. Anyone who’s succeeds to hold the structure is likely going to be considered as a running mate to whoever will emerge from the north in 2031.

‘That is if APC wins the election in 2027. So, their fears are germane. That is the truth of the matter. I’m not going to pretend, because I’m not working for anybody. I’m not on anybody’s pay roll, so I have to speak the truth the way it is. Let me tell you, the likes of Hope Uzodinma, the likes of Charles Soludo, the likes of Peter Mbah of Enugu State, the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, the likes of Dave Umahi, and the likes of Wike and Soludo (who are not in the APC), these guys all have their eyes on 2031.’

She said it’s not all about Tinubu’s re-election but about 2031. ‘They are commonly bound on that project, that is the truth. And everyone believes that, ‘If I can do well, if I can deliver, I could get the endorsement of the president, you know, for 2031.’ That is what you’re seeing.

‘That is why Hope Uzodinma is going to forego eight months of his governorship to run for Senate and probably emerge as the Senate President. Even where he does not emerge as the Senate President, he still wants to be in the Senate because he believes probably he will have an advantage. I mean, something can happen and there will be shifting in the National Assembly that could favour him. So, he’s trying to position himself. But the truth is that, as a governor, you’re equally powerful.’

She went on: ‘Let me tell you, because his election is going to be off-cycle, his fears are that by the time his tenure ends, he will not have that power or that push to fight for the Presidency when the time would come.

So, he needs to be in the Senate for the next three years to four, so that it will give him a kind of comfortable cruise to the battle for 2031. Peter Mbah of Enugu State also has his own calculations. He has joined the APC.’

What Wike wants:

Could it be that Wike has convinced himself that he would hardly be allowed to get the slot of vice president in the APC (he is not even a member) as the PDP is a no-go area?

The media FBI vouched: ‘Beyond that, Wike’s intention is to position himself for the 2031 Vice President slot. We know these things. We’re in touch, we are field people, we are connected. I come from the South East and I live in the South-South, and I can tell you that I know politics in the two regions the way I know the back of my hand. I mean, I can tell you that that is the first ambition for Peter Mbah. That’s it, that’s why he’s there. Now, you look at Dave Umahi. He’s doing everything possible to please the President with all the coastal road, all the Abuja-Kano Road, all the infrastructure projects here and there and kind of taking the heat off the government and all that.

‘Of course, he wants to be compensated with the ticket, running mate to whoever that will emerge as the presidential candidate from the North.’

She said Soludo of APGA has also made his own political calculations about the limitations of APGA and the fate of his predecessors (Obi, Obiano). Now, you can see that Obiano is neither here nor there. APGA has not been able to really favor those who served with it.

She said it’s all about a South-East vice president in 2031 and hopes of an eventual presidential candidate thereafter.

‘So, that’s basically what they are looking at. I don’t also want to rule out Alex Otti, even though he has said he just wants to finish as governor and go. Then, look at Nyesom Wike. You think that Wike will just finish all that he’s done and then just retire like that, a young man? No, I don’t see that. He has not also shown that, so I believe strongly that he is also positioning.

‘And that is where the fear comes in, because having a powerful structure as the Rainbow Coalition, though not a registered political party, but it could be tomorrow. It could be, because I don’t know whether PDP will survive from the ashes. So, it’s possible, and then I don’t also see Nigerians really believing in PDP anymore. So, Wike could just form this coalition and it will translate to something bigger.

Wike, a disruptive political thinker: Oby

Ndukwe went on: ‘Already, like I said, it’s spreading to very many states, even though there’s not been any evidence that he has those structures. It’s just that people are beginning to borrow the template and give him the credit. He, I mean, is the convener, and that’s why I said he’s also a disruptive political thinker-not a destructive, get me, a disruptive thinker. That is somebody who thinks outside the box; and that is Wike.’

So, she said, some of the governors in the APC are actually scared that these things may affect whatever plans they have. ‘But I think the bottom line is if President Tinubu wins in 2027, and then maybe endorses somebody as presidential candidate, and then somebody else as running mate. But these things are speculative, ‘All things being equal, ceteris paribus.’ So for me, what should be paramount to them is to ensure that the APC wins and remains in power before you begin to talk about what next. Because in my place, they say you have to struggle for space first before you start struggling for the mat that you’re going to put on the space to lie down.’

Conclusion: Rainbow Coalition, the next biggest thing:

Ndukwe rounded her thoughts up by positing that the Rainbow is the next biggest thing, if it survives in the 2027 elections. ‘So, I think Wike has started off well. Maybe he didn’t even know that it will grow this big, I’m sure. And so if we all have to wait to see what he wants to do, and then like I said, the fears of those APC governors are also germane because they also have almost the same ambition that Wike has. Everybody is eyeing 2031.