Politics
The Unfinished Arab Spring
In 2011 when the popular uprising began in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria known as the “Arab Spring, most analysts thought it would spread throughout the Arab World but surprisingly it did not.
While it brought about changes in Tunisia and Egypt, that of Syria later snowballed into a civil war which terrorists such as ISIS capitalised on to create mayhem and mass killings.
However, nine years after, other Arab sit-tight dictators in Algeria and Sudan have had a taste of what a popular uprising looks like. Both Presidents, Abdulaziz Bourtoflika and Omar Al-Bashir were removed from office following months of protests without gunshots. All what was required were chants, strike actions and street demonstrations against injustice, corruption and an end to dictatorship. In essence, what the people wanted were changes in their economic situation and the restoration of democracy.
In Algeria, Abdulaziz Bouteflika who had already had a stroke and is wheel-chair bound refused every entreaty to step down due to his ill-health and inability to tackle the high unemployment issue affecting the country. To make matters even worse, despite his health condition and at the age of 82, he still wanted to contest for a fifth term in office after ruling the country for 20 years.
Though he is out of office, the protesters are still unrelenting and are calling for the removal from office, the old guard that has been ruling the country since its independence in 1962.
Likewise in Sudan, the protesters are also calling for the removal of all military presence in the proposed transition process. These calls are not without some merit as the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution has shown them that if proper safeguards are not put in place, Sudan or Algeria will end up in the hands of another military dictator who will hijack the revolution to perpetuate himself in power.
In most revolutions, those who topple and kill their opponents are likely to turn against their allies and people with equal vengeance. That’s why the protesters are saying that though some elements in the military were motivated by them to remove the former presidents from office they should handover the transition process to civilians to manage. Despite pleas so far, the protests are still ongoing.
Although the new political change is exciting, but its long term success depends on consistency and perseverance. This is because once there is any lapse in the coordination of the change made so far, the surviving elements in the status quo will re-strategise not only to survive but think of ways to use the system to either infiltrate the opposition movement and utilize the opportunities thus created to perpetuate themselves in power by removing their military toga and don civilian clothes to contest for the presidency as was done in Egypt.
One unique feature in the Sudanses uprising was that for the first time in the country’s history, Muslims had to invite the Christian minority population to join them and work as a team to fight for the restoration of freedom and true democracy.
Already because of the mounting pressure the military in both countries are in a dilemma. While in Algeria the head of the military Gaed Sala said they are looking for options to end the imbroglio as soon as possible, in Sudan all entreaties by the ruling military council to placate the opposition have been rebuffed.
In essence what this means is that there is high level of suspicion by leaders of the uprising that if they relent in their demands they might end up being fed the Egyptian menu… where those who led the uprising ended up behind bars.
What are the lessons that can be learnt from this second phase of the Arab awakening, especially in Africa as Sit-tight dictatorship seems to be on the wane?
Gadaffi is gone, likewise Robert Mugabe, Yahaya Jammeh is no more in office, the remaining presidents who for the last 20 to 30 years have been in power should start thinking of an exist route as to receive a soft landing. Meanwhile, Omar Albashir is now in a maximum prison in Sudan never to enjoy the trappings of power again. Maybe if he reflects over his mistakes, he will realize that his actions to cling on to power would eventually be fruitless as the momentum of the protest which started in December 2018 had no alternative than for him to relinquish power when the situation would have given him the opportunity to negotiate his exit with honour.
Maybe he thought he was a better politician than Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
One thing every African leader should begin to understand is that they should never take the people they rule for granted and overstay their terms in office. African leaders must as a matter of fact; especially for their own sake avoid being that to be disgraced at their old age, showed respect the constitution of their countries; respect the rule of law and learn to know when to quit office when the ovation is at a high crescendo.
A look at years past saw how presidents who were held in high esteem ended.
Laurent Gbagbo, Blaise compoare, Samuel Doe, Yahaya Jammeh, Mobutu Sese Seko, Idi Amin, Jean Bedel Bakassa, Kwarue Nkrumah, said Barre and Hastings kamuzu Banda. They all ended in disgrace or exile.
Hopeful the level of maturity shown by the protesters in Algeria and Sudan is an indication that popular protests don’t have to be bloody for a change of government as lot does not really, need gunships, civil war or killings. Once a people expresses their feelings as to have a change of government let both the government and the opposition sit down and negotiate on how to move the nation forward. No one individual has the monopoly of wisdom in ruling a country. This is because after being in power for over 20 or 30 years with no tangible development what than can a man in his 80’s offer in a modern society where youth now form the majority of the population.
Though every society has its own unique feature, one common denominator is that people need an infuse of new thoughts, technology and ways of doing things that are in tandem with modern realities. So the days of jackboot democracy are over. The people now have the destiny in their own hands and should not relent in their demand for a true democracy where the freedom to choose who rules is determined by the voters card and not the wishes of a cabal or one man sitting on a throne.
Tonye Ikiroma-Owiye
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed his legal team to resume all court proceedings against Mrs. Tracy Ohiri over her repeated allegations of indebtedness and other claims against him.
Mrs Ohiri had publicly accused Senator Umahi of owing her N280 million for campaign materials from his tenure as party chairman in Ebonyi State.
The allegations went viral on social media, where she also accused the Minister of sexual harassment.
Security agencies arrested Mrs Ohiri, and she was subsequently prosecuted. Her lawyer, Barrister Marshall Abubakar, intervened, leading to the deletion of all posts and a public apology, which also gained widespread attention online.
However, days after the apology, Mrs Ohiri resumed her claims against Senator Umahi.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Senator Umahi said he had informed Barrister Abubakar during the intervention that if Mrs Ohiri could provide verifiable evidence, logs, and communications from the period in question, some of his associates were willing to contribute a sum of One Billion Naira (N1billion) to her, evidence which, he said, she had yet to provide.
“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has been monitoring the ongoing public discourse surrounding the claims and counterclaims by Mrs. Tracy Ohiri.
“Ordinarily, this would have been ignored, but in the interest of truth and public clarity, it is necessary to address the issues directly”, the statement read.
The statement clarified that Barrister Abubakar acted in good faith and without any financial interest, motivated solely by a desire to assist Mrs Ohiri.
At no point did the lawyer discuss or negotiate any payment with the minister, although some well-meaning associates independently offered support”, the statement added.
Senator Umahi reiterated the conditions for resolving the matter: either the claims must be tested in court, or Mrs Ohiri must provide credible evidence, including all relevant communications, to substantiate her allegations.
The minister emphasised that Barr Abubakar conducted himself with integrity throughout the process.
“Following the failure to meet these conditions, particularly the inability to provide verifiable evidence, the Minister has directed his legal team to proceed with all court processes to ensure the truth is fully established,” the statement said.
Senator Umahi said despite years of public provocations and attacks, he chose to remain silent, focusing on national and state services.
He thanked Nigerians who had taken time to assess the facts and noted that “not everyone who presents themselves as a victim truly is one, and in some cases, narratives are deliberately inverted.”
The Minister affirmed that he will not be distracted by Mrs Ohiri’s allegations and remained committed to his mandate at the Ministry of Works.
“The focus remains on results, service, and ensuring that Nigerians continue to benefit from projects that improve connectivity, economic growth, and national development. This administration will continue to pursue its transformation agenda with dedication, transparency, and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” he concluded.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions.
Justice Stephen Jumbo made the pronouncement during a recent sitting in Port Harcourt.
The suit, which borders on the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure in the state, was instituted against the factional State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other respondents.
Also joined in the matter are the PDP as a corporate entity, the Rivers State Government, as well as Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas, including their respective Vice Chairmen and Councillors.
The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, approached the court via an originating summons seeking judicial interpretation on the validity of actions taken by the Chief Chukwuemeka-led state executive committee of the party.
Central to the dispute is whether the said executive committee, whose emergence the claimants contend has been nullified by a subsisting court judgment, retains the legal authority to act on behalf of the party in critical electoral matters.
The plaintiffs specifically urged the court to determine whether the factional leadership could validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the purpose of participating in local government elections.
They further questioned the legitimacy of the PDP’s participation in the August 30, 2025 local government elections, contending that any list purportedly submitted by the factional leadership was invalid and of no legal consequence.
In addition to the declaratory reliefs sought, the claimants also prayed the court to grant consequential orders addressing the outcome and conduct of the said elections across the affected local government areas.
At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the PDP and the affected local government councils informed the court that they had only recently been served with the originating processes and accompanying documents.
The defence team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), disclosed that service of the court processes was effected on March 13, 2026, leaving them with limited time to adequately prepare their responses.
Consequently, the defence counsel applied for an adjournment to enable them study the processes and address the legal issues raised, particularly as they relate to jurisdictional questions and points of law.
Counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, did not oppose the application, following which the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions, with a possible ruling expected ahead of the substantive suit.
By: King Onunwor
A former state lawmaker in the old the Rivers State, Professor Alex Eseimokumo, has described Nigerian opposition political parties as mere preposition political parties.
He also advised the country’s electorate against selling their votes during next year’s general elections.
The former legislator, who is also the president of the Institute for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Entrepreneurial Research, said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on the sidelines of an event organized by the institute in Port Harcourt.
He said opposition political parties in Nigeria have been reduced to preposition political parties as most of them are not only dinning with the government but advising government on what to do to win election.
“The problem in Nigeria is we are not practicing politics the way it is supposed to be.The opposition are more in preposition.
“You see, opposition is supposed to find out things that are wrong in government but in our present day politics, you see opposition even dinning with the other group. So, there is basically nothing like opposition in Nigeria “, he said.
He lamented a situation where some individuals within the opposition are allegedly working hard to prevent their parties from fielding presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, adding that such individuals were only there to protect their personal interest.
Prof. Eseimokumo said as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he could not wish his party to fail in the election, even though nothing is impossible in Nigeria.
He noted that though the government in power has been trying it’s best, there was more to be done.
In his words, “I’m an APC member, so I don’t have the right to criticize my party but a word of advice: we still need to do more, more people oriented leadership where everybody will feel carried along.
“For now, I’m campaigning for APC to be re elected and if I stand here to say APC is not doing well, I’m not being fair to myself. But I think, with God all things are possible, there can be changes”.
On his assessment of the performances of governors of the Niger Delta states, Prof Eseimokumo said the governors were doing well within the limit of their resources.
” I don’t know what is given to them as allocation, but if what we are seeing in terms of window dressing is not window shopping, then they are doing well”, he said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Eseimokumo has advised Nigerian electorates against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections.
He said credible election could only be achieved when the electorates refuse financial inducement during the elections.
According to him, though Nigerian voters had been difficult to persuade, the time had come for them to stop selling their votes.
Prof. Eseimokumo said the forthcoming elections will serve as a litmus test for the Nigerian electorate to demonstrate their desire for changes in the country, stressing that free and fair elections will continue to be a mirage in the country until the was a change in the attitude of the electorate.
“If you want your vote to count, don’t take money from anybody; if you want your votes to count, don’t collect money for your vote. The moment you collect money for your vote, you have sold your conscience”, he warned.
He said his institute will continue to work for peace, not just in the Niger Delta region but across Nigeria.
By: John Bibor
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