Niyi Olarewaju

As the Nigerian 2019 election is fast approaching, with campaign activities gaining tract and the nation's electoral commission ramping up preparations, it is pertinent to also critically appraise the options presented Nigerians in this election. In this article, I will primarily focus on the presidential election which of course draws the biggest interest, and which is also, the most important in this round of elections. Interestingly, unlike other elections since the military handed over power to the civilians in 1999, there seems to be very little optimism and excitement about the 2019 presidential election. In 1999, we were all excited about the prospect of returning Nigeria to democratic governance after about 15 years of military rule. In 2007, it was fascinating to see the nation transition from one democratic government to another. The 2011 presidential election was special in its own way, because of the unique stories of the top candidates in that election. The climax o...

With the turn of events in the last two weeks, it has become imperative to grasp the new realities of Venezuela, especially with the United States’ recognition of Mr Juan Guaidó as acting President, which triggered other countries to either recognise Mr Guaidó or the incumbent President, Nicolas Maduro. But for starters, it is worthy to mention that America is no longer that dependable and reliable ally the world used to know. Today’s America is a far deviation from the American that helped rebuild Europe post-world war II, or the America that helped lay the foundation for strong economic successes in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. In fact, America’s foreign and economic policies today are the complete opposite of everything that led to the huge successes in these countries decades ago. Hence, the need to be cautious in embracing America’s dictates especially in Venezuela which presents a very unique case. While it may sound very scintillating to hear America’s support for Mr Juan G...