4th Republic – Details, episodes & analysis

The story of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot be written without referring to Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Governor Fayemi, a two-time Governor of Ekiti State, the former Chair of the influential Governor's Forum, and former Minister of Solid Minerals Development was also the Policy & Research Director of President Buhari's successful 2015 campaign.

In this conversation with Oluwamayowa Idowu, Governor Fayemi takes us through his experience growing up in Ibadan and returning to the "village" in Ado Ekiti to continue his academic studies and his evolution into one of the leading intellectuals of the NADECO and June 12 movement.

Opposition politics in Lagos has received a new face in the form of Funso Doherty.

Doherty who sought the Lagos Governorship in the 2023 elections under the auspices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came into Politics on the back of a successful career in financial services.

In this interview with Oluwamayowa Idowu, Doherty takes us through his experience growing up in Lagos, getting a taste of the leadership bug as a student, working at GT Bank in its embryonic stage, and his interest in public service.

The audio briefing is back!!!!!!

This week;

• President Tinubu's academic certificates and their authenticity have been a talking point in the wake of the PDP's Atiku Abubakar beckoning a US court.
• The President's Tax Reform Committee Chair has made a case for the sale of the country's moribund refineries.

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Ademide Adim Akpapunam speaks of capturing the best of both worlds: being born to parents from Delta and Ogun states- an obvious antidote to the tribalist rhetoric that has formed part of the soundscape of Nigerian politics this year. 

From growing up in Ikeja to attending the prestigious Adesoye College in Kwara and college in the United States, an interest in the transformative power of digital media would inspire his entry into Nigerian politics. 

Akpapunam in his official capacity as the Personal Assistant to the country’s #4 citizen- House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila (Surulere I) has an enviable understanding of the legislature and the dynamics that go towards ensuring unity in the lower chamber. He speaks to the sagacity of his principal while making a case for the Tinubu administration. In the context of Gbajabiamila’s appointment as the President’s Chief of Staff, this interview helps make sense of an expected power broker in the new administration

Aedan Asika bears a last name which means people have predetermined expectations of him. However, his familial heritage in Politics and Entertainment didn’t mean much as he embarked on a journey of self-discovery in his late teens.

Fresh out of secondary school, he developed an interest in Politics and found himself interning in the office of then-Senator Bukola Saraki. At the time, Saraki, the scion of an iconic political dynasty had just come to the end of a two-term run as the Governor of Kwara state located in the bellwether North Central geopolitical zone. He’d also built a layer of influence as the Chair of the Governors Forum (the collective body of Nigerian Governors). Upon his entry into the Senate, Saraki would play an active role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the selection process of the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates. He also emerged as the Senate President in the new political dispensation. His leadership of the Senate resulted in the enactment of a record number of laws and the passage of landmark bills like the Electoral Amendment Bill, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill, and the Police Reform Bill. Since losing out in the 2019 elections, Saraki has sought the presidency and has been tasked with leading the reunification of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Through it all, Asika has been an interesting observer and participant whose recollection of these moments offers an interesting political history class. He also makes a great pitch as to why young people should take the leap into political waters.

This interview is part of a still-taking-shape series where I speak to participants within the political process to document their journeys and glean insights that help us demystify the political process. If you enjoy it, do let us know other people whose stories you'll love to hear.

Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour shot to national prominence in 2017 when he contested the Ikeja Local Government Area chairmanship under the KOWA party. Two years later, he sought the Lagos West senatorial seat under the PDP. This year, he's running for Governor of Lagos under the Labour Party. Gbadebo joined 'Mayowa to talk about his journey into Politics- from campaigning against the Jonathan administration's policy on Genetically Modified Foods to seeking an end to the APC dynasty in Lagos. He talks about learning how to build political momentum as a young participant, the importance of Peter Obi's once-in-a-generation campaign, and why his architectural background makes him the right candidate for this cycle. 

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Later this week, Nigerians will head to the polls to elect a new President. To ease the decision-making process, we have been digging into the three main candidates to help voters get a better sense of who they are. What do we know about their childhood(s)? What do their pre-political days tell us about their candidacies? How did they get into Politics? What is the case for or against their candidacies? What are their chances?

For Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), this is potentially his last shot at an office he first sought about 30 years ago. Oluwamayowa Idowu and Kunle Adewumi make sense of the man from old Gongola whose breakout into public life came through the Nigerian Customs Service. 

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In what should be the last briefing before Nigeria's presidential elections, we take a look at some of the most prominent storylines of the last week; 

The friction between President Buhari and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress party took a new dimension this week with members of the party advising Nigerians to defy the President’s directives around the Naira redesign policy. 

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has given the campaign of Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi a filip by publicly endorsing him for President.

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Peter Obi's Lagos rally and the boost from the released polls underline his popularity going into the final stretch. 

PDP's Chimaroke Nnamani has been explled from the party highlighting the disunity within the party. 

Get the breakdown of all this and more.

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In less than a month, Nigerians will head to the polls to elect a new President. To ease the decision-making process, we will be digging into the three main candidates to help voters get a better sense of who they are. What do we know about their childhood(s)? What do their pre-political days tell us about their candidacies? How did they get into Politics? What is the case for or against their candidacies? What are their chances?

The ruling All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking the capstone of his political career. In this episode, Oluwamayowa Idowu and Kunle Adewumi help make sense of Tinubu's candidacy.