When the rains start pouring in Nigeria, most catfish farmers feel a mix of relief and anxiety. Water is life for fish, sure, but too much of it is terrible. That is where things get disheartening.
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“So not too long ago, a very senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan was too young and probably that’s why he made mistakes.’
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The poster child of Russia’s authoritarianism in Africa, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, on April 2, 2026, stated “Democracy “kills” and the people of Burkina Faso must “forget” it” in an interview aired on state television.
This was not entirely surprising for a geopolitics watcher. Having seized power in a coup in 2023, the junta leader pledged to restore democratic rule by July 2024, but two months before the deadline, Traoré announced it would extend its rule for another five years. He will go on to place a ban on all political parties as part of a plan to “rebuild the state.”
In his April 2 rambling interview, he suggested that most Africans do not want a democratic system and that Burkina Faso had its own alternative approach. What alternatives, he did not say.
This wasn’t happenstance. It was forged as a long-term strategy by the Kremlin. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the so-called Alliance of Sahel States, AES, became the staging grounds for Moscow’s grand plan of democratic scuttling in Africa.
A report by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies indicates that there has been a steady effort to recede democracy on the continent in recent years. According to Freedom House, 31 African countries have seen their democracy scores decline over the past 5 years.
It makes the argument that external authoritarian actors have played a less well-appreciated role in facilitating this deterioration. “Russia stands out in this regard. Among other aims, undermining democracy has been a strategic objective of Russia’s Africa policy for the past two decades.
Authoritarian governments lacking domestic checks and balances provide permissive environments for enabling Russian influence on the continent. Normalising authoritarianism abroad, meanwhile, validates Russia’s nondemocratic governance practices at home,” the report states.
Various studies conclude that Russia’s disruption of democratic processes occurs through both official channels (such as blocking UN resolutions condemning African regimes’ human rights abuses or fraudulent electoral claims) and irregular means (such as disinformation campaigns targeting democratic proponents, election interference, the deployment of Wagner paramilitary forces, or illicit arms for resources deals).
Traoré, just like his contemporaries who see only the shortcomings of politicians and mistake them for democratic failings, was in his element when he noted that the dissolution of political parties was due to their being divisive, dangerous, and incompatible with the revolutionary project.
“The truth is, politics in Africa – or at least what we’ve experienced in Burkina – is that a real politician is someone who embodies every vice: a liar, a sycophant, a smooth-talker,” he said. He, too, has shown that he is that and much more. He promised elections within a timeframe but failed to keep to it.
He assured Burkinabes of security, but has completely failed to rein in Islamists and other threats, not just to the country, but the entire sub-region. He leads today on all fronts in smooth talking and exploiting AI vulnerabilities with doctored videos and reels to deceive the gullible.
The basis of democracy is the ability of people to say “enough is enough” and choose who to lead them. And this Traoré and his ilk in AES and their handlers in Moscow fail to acknowledge. Nothing best exemplifies the beauty of democracy than Hungary’s ousting of authoritarian President Viktor Orbán. After 16 years of misrule, corruption and human rights abuses, democracy pushed back, and the will of Hungarians came to bear. This is what Traoré cannot bear.
The strongman in Ouagadougou must realise that Africa cannot be recolonised under any guise; therefore, there is an urgent need for him to come to terms with reality. The continent has had enough of opportunistic illiberal regimes that exploit anti-colonial rhetoric to advance their own geopolitical agendas.
While there are divergent views on democracy’s impact on economic growth and social cohesion, there is barely any substitute for it, at least, not the Kremlin’s brand. Except that he wants to end up in the dustbin of history like those who embraced authoritarian leaders, such as Zimbabwe’s anti-colonial freedom fighter-turned-despot, the late Robert Mugabe, and Cameroon’s Paul Biya, then he must look towards stable, prospering democracies like Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and South Africa.
History indicates that the most prosperous countries are democratic, as they offer their citizens the freedom to think and contribute their own ideas to nation-building.
As it is, Captain Traoré needs to come to terms with the fact that Russia’s anti-colonial crusade belies its efforts to advance its own political and economic interests. Moscow’s efforts in Africa are borne from a desire to undercut Western influence in the region; shore up diplomatic support for itself in multilateral forums, such as the United Nations; and reinstate Russia’s reputation as a global superpower, secure access to Africa’s vast natural resources, including criterial minerals, and take advantage of illicit networks, such as illegal gold mining, to circumvent international sanctions and fund its war in Ukraine. He and his friends in the AES ought to have a rethink and not plunge their people into Moscow’s dragnet of self-perpetuation.
-Amajama, a social commentator, writes from Abuja and can be reached via amajamaip@gmail.com
OPINION: Russia, Traoré And Death Knell For Democracy In Africa is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayomi Odusote, on Thursday, 17th April 2026, delivered a formal welcome address to newly admitted students of the 2025/2026 academic session at the Headquarters, Bwari, Abuja.
She urged the students to uphold discipline, professionalism, and academic excellence, emphasizing strict compliance with the School’s Code of Conduct and zero tolerance for examination malpractice, indiscipline, and misconduct.
Dr. Odusote introduced the #ARISE Framework—Academic Excellence, Research and Renewed Service, Infrastructural Rebirth, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, and Enabled Digitization—as the guiding vision of the institution.
She encouraged students to actively engage in lectures and group activities , make full use of their lecturers as mentors, and maintain proper conduct and appropriate dressing throughout their stay.
The Director-General warmly welcomed the students to the Nigerian Law School, describing it as a very big experience, and said together we will achieve academic excellence.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, National Legislatures Forum, on Tuesday warned President Bola Tinubu’s administration against taking the party’s humane’s disposition for weakness.
Speaking at the forum’s press conference in Abuja, a former member of the House of Representatives, Chile Igbawua, warned that the ADC is not begging but asking the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to carry out its duties.
According to Igbawua: “Agreed that the ADC has been as humane as the opposition political party can be but I would like to sound a note of warning that this government should not take that for weakness. We are not begging, we are simply asking everybody to do what they are supposed to do. The judiciary and electoral umpire should do their work as they are assigned.
“As it stands, ADC doesn’t have confidence in INEC as it’s presently constituted. It’s surprising that the head of the legislature has become a press secretary to the INEC Chairman that when accusations are done against him, he sit there in the other arm of government to defend him just like he defends other functionaries in the executives.”
Igbawua also accused Senate President Godswill Akpbio of destroying the Nigerian legislature, stressing that the forum is ashamed of the current National Assembly.
He added: “We know that Akpabio has destroyed the legislature and we are ashamed to say so, we were there and we knew what we did when occasion demanded.
“We are ashamed of what we see there today but we believe that those who think that they have a field day should know that they don’t, they will all give account if anybody tries to mess up the democracy; he will account for it personally and corporately.”
Don’t take us for granted, Akpabio destroyed NASS – ADC members warn Tinubu
At the Business of Design Week 2025, Infinix announced a landmark strategic partnership with Pininfarina, the iconic Italian design house with a 95-year legacy of shaping some of the world’s most celebrated automobiles, as well as groundbreaking products across sectors such as luxury lifestyle, architecture and yachting. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new […]
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP) suffered a fresh wave of defections in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with the PDP losing five of its members to other parties.
This comes as Lawmakers continued to realign across party lines ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu read out a series of defection letters, reflecting increasing fluidity within Nigeria’s political space.
Kalu dismissed concerns that the trend signals a drift towards a one-party system, insisting it reflects democratic freedom.
“This is to show the country that no party is stifled. People are leaving the majority party to the minority parties and the minority parties for the majority party. This is the beauty of democracy,” he said.
One of the notable defections came from Lagos State, where Thaddeus Attah, who represents Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, left the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In his letter, Attah attributed his decision to “the protracted crisis in the leadership of the LP,” which he said had affected effective representation of his constituents.
The PDP lost five members in the latest movement. Abubakar Abdul from Niger State defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while Yakubu Noma from Kebbi State joined the ADC. Ibrahim Mohammed, also from Kebbi State, moved to the APC.
In Osun State, Mudashiru Alani (Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa) and Adetunji Olusoji (Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe) left the PDP for the Accord Party.
The APC also recorded losses as David Fuoh (Taraba) defected to the PDP, while Bashir Zubair (Kaduna) joined the ADC, highlighting the two-way nature of the political realignments.
The defections have been linked to ongoing leadership crises within major political parties, particularly the PDP and Labour Party, as political actors reposition ahead of party primaries.
Since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in 2023, the APC has maintained a numerical advantage in the House, while opposition parties continue to pursue relevance through defections and coalition-building.
Analysts say the increasing involvement of smaller parties such as the ADC points to a gradual diversification of Nigeria’s political space beyond the traditional APC–PDP dominance.
The House adjourned plenary to Wednesday in honour of Kano lawmaker Hassan Danjuma, who died on April 10, 2026, at the age of 66.
Lawmakers Dump PDP, APC, LP In Fresh Defections is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Former Abia State governor and current senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has dismissed claims suggesting interference by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Nigeria’s electoral process, describing the allegations as unfounded.
Speaking on Monday, April 21, 2026, during a media chat in Abuja, Kalu said there is no credible evidence to support accusations that INEC is being manipulated or influenced by external forces.
In his statement Sen. Uzo Kalu said “INEC is doing its job within the limits of the law. People should stop making baseless claims about interference when they have no proof”.
The lawmaker, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, stressed that Nigeria’s democracy can only thrive when institutions are allowed to function independently without unnecessary political pressure or public distrust fueled by speculation.
Kalu also urged political actors and stakeholders to focus on strengthening the electoral system through constructive engagement rather than spreading narratives that could undermine public confidence.
He added that “If there are concerns, they should be addressed through proper legal and institutional channels, not through unverified public accusations”.
“No external interference”- Orji Kalu clears air on INEC allegations
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Committee (JCC), Lagos axis, has called for stronger collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command to enhance the safety and welfare of students across the state. This appeal was made by the Chairman of the group, Quadri Odewunmi, when he led a delegation of student union […]
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When we say “outsource coding tasks to AI,” we don’t mean handing your entire codebase to a machine and walking away. What we mean is strategically delegating the predictable, repetitive, low-creativity portions of your coding work to AI tools,
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