I was in Kano state yesterday on a condolence visit to two great Nigeria families. From Kaduna i travelled to Kano to commiserate with the family of the late business Mogul and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, to condole with them over his passing.
His life was one of service and contribution to our country and immense gratitude to Almighty Allah . May his gentle soul rest in peace.
I also visited the home of the late Alhaji Maitama Sule (Dan Masanin Kano) to sympathize with his family on the loss of their grandson, Musa Ayuba Musa (Abba). No loss is easy, especially that of a young life full of promise. I pray for strength and comfort for the entire family.
May Allah (SWT) grant them Aljannatul Firdaus. -PO
Proudlyngwa: I understand what you mean, my concern is that at this present age we should have gone beyond that. What this simply means is that there might never be unity in our diversity, otherwise why are we still clustering ourself. I also understand the federal character issue.
I believe anyone can be anything irrespective of where he is from, geopolitics might limit that, also geopolitics builds mental segregation, i have been a firsthand victim of that and witnessed it on multiple occasions.
Because it takes time to build (sometimes hundreds of years). The UK, the US and other such countries have gone through the same phase and in some cases they still have similar rules.
The 6 geo-political zones do not prevent freedom of movement or freedom of association in any way. They are not even recognised in the constitution (the 1995 constitutional conference rejected them, but Abacha approved them for the 1995 constitution, but the 1999 constitution review committee removed them).
They are mainly used for federal character purposes (as you can see in the last post that I made). Several laws that were passed by the National Assembly require the president to appoint people from at least each of the 6 geo-political zones into certain commissions and bodies to ensure adequate representation.
I just realised that I forgot to include this post. It explains a bit about what the 6 geo-political zones are used for (check the part about the commissions).
naptu2: Nairalanders have often asked, "What is the South-South? Who created the South-South Zone"? This thread answers those questions.
The South-South is a geopolitical zone in Nigeria. It represents the southernmost part of Southern Nigeria. It is a geopolitical region and like other geopolitical regions of the world, it is not dependent on compass points. There's no Middle East or Far East on a compass, yet these are regarded as regions of the world, just as there is no Midwest or South-Central on a compass, but these are geopolitical regions of the United States.
The South-South is one of the 6 geopolitical zones in Nigeria and the 6 zones are: North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West. The zones are not recognised in the constitution, but they are recognised by several acts that have been passed by the National Assembly. These acts require the president to appoint people from all the 6 geopolitical zones into several commissions and boards.
The idea of the 6 geopolitical zones was developed by former Vice President Dr Alex Ekwueme and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, when they were in prison between 1983 and 1985. Dr Ekwueme was the brain behind the idea, while Chief Onabanjo made contributions.
The basic idea was to provide equality between the regions of Nigeria. During the 1st Republic, Northern Nigeria was bigger than the other 2 regions (East and West) combined and there were always fears that it would dominate the country. Dr Ekwueme decided to address this issue by creating a balance.
Furthermore, minority ethnic groups were always complaining that they were being dominated by the 3 big ethnic groups and so his idea was developed in such a way that the minorities would have a voice.
In his idea, there would be an Eastern Region which would be mainly made up of the Igbo ethnic group and a Western Region that would be mainly made up of the Yoruba ethnic group. There would then be a South-South Region that would be mainly made up of the southern minorities.
There would also be a North-Western Region which would be mainly made up of the Hausa and Fulani ethnic groups and a North-East Region which would be mainly made up of the Kanuri ethnic group. There would then be a North-Central Region that would be mainly made up of the minorities in the North.
Dr Ekwueme presented his ideas to former President Shehu Shagari when he left prison. President Shagari had previously suggested something similar, but he told Dr Ekwueme that he had abandoned the idea because people did not accept it.
Dr Ekwueme then presented the idea at the 1995 Constitutional Conference. The idea was rejected, but the head of state, General Abacha, liked and accepted it.
In this interview Dr Ekwueme explains how and why he came up with the idea. The interview was conducted and published a few years before his death and it was republished after his death.
Proudlyngwa: Meaning in this modern age, we are still playing politics of tribe and religion. So what then does the freedom of movement and association mean. We cant have six countries in a country because as long as people keep getting identified by tribe or geopolitical zone, we keep getting stuck.
I rep abia state not the southeast, i dont even as a person recognise south east, what connection do i have with an enugu man than an azumini person that i share market, environmental concerns as well as security concerns.
We need to start back a process of meaningful national reintegration, honestly i dont think geopolitics can help us achieve this in this modern dispensation
There are very many examples, but I'll begin with Professor Omoruyi's book tomorrow.
Then I'll get to the first coup and other things later in the week.
HEAVEN4444: But these guys you mentioned are not interested in the presidency though except atiku and he is going with ADC . I don't think saraki or makinde are interested in contesting and neither do I think wike wants to go against his paddy jAgaban. That ticket is wide open
1) Wike wants to make sure that either the PDP backs Tinubu or nobody major can emerge from the PDP. That's why he is in the PDP and that's why he controls structures (for example the National Secretary) in the PDP (remember that any communication from PDP to INEC must be signed by the National Secretary).
2) Seyi Makinde has been preparing the ground for a possible presidential run for a long time and the possible exit of Atiku and others will pave the way for him.
Proudlyngwa: Ekwueme might have had a noble idea, but that idea is outdated .
Geopolitics is one thing holding this country back. We are all nigerians irrespective of where we come from, states are just imaginary boundaries for easier administration of people and resources, So in this present day what exactly does geopolitical zone serve, because we have multiple tribes in some states, and one tribe in some states, so i dont think its about tribe or religion again.
Oh, it does a great deal.
You see, these things are not so important to me, but they are very important to some people and you can not ignore their concerns.
All the great problems in Nigeria have arisen because people like you and I ignored the concerns of people who take these things seriously.
1) It was one of the main reasons for the first coup.
2) It was the reason that Ironsi was killed.
3) It was the reason for the Civil War.
4) As you will see when I post the next installment from Professor Omoruyi's book, it was a major reason for the annulment of the June 12 election.
5) It was a reason for the Niger Delta rebellion (Isaac Boro).
6) It was the reason that a large chunk of the Niger Delta people opposed Biafra during the Civil War.
You cannot ignore the concerns and fears of these people.
HEAVEN4444: Think about it , his major opposition in pdp has left and has created a new party ADC and so what a right thinking wise mAn would do is look at all the options. LP has collapsed, APC is jagaban, ADC is atiku...what's left ? His opposition has left pdp. He needs to return to pdp and get the ticket there. Pdp is well established and has structure. What is he doing in ADC ? Who are this man's advisers ? These people are not master thinkers
There are a lot of powerful people in PDP, so it's not like anybody will walk in and take the ticket.
There is Nyesom Wike.
There is Bukola Saraki
There is Seyi Makinde.
These people already have structures in the PDP.
Besides, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has not yet resigned from the PDP (it's his son that resigned).
How Ekwueme, Bisi Onabanjo plotted six geopolitical zones from prison
ON NOVEMBER 25, 2017 5:59 AM
The idea of the six geopolitical zones looks brilliant. Was it your idea alone?
The only other person who contributed to it was my friend, Bisi Onabanjo. Two of us discussed this in prison.
It was from there you now took it to the Constitutional Conference where it was adopted?
Well, it wasn’t. But Abacha adopted it. The conference itself didn’t adopt it; they wanted the status quo to remain because it was in the interest of some people to maintain the status quo.
Some have suggested the abolition of the states and for the six geopolitical zones to become the federating bodies. Do you concur?
The states don’t have to be abolished. It is a matter of nomenclature. When we had Eastern Region, we had 12 provinces which Michael Okpara created. Ogoja province, Calabar Province, Uyo Province, Annang Province, Enugu Province, Onitsha Province, Owerri Province, Umuahia Province and Port-Harcourt Province, Degema Province. There were six provinces in the minority areas and six in the Igbo areas, and all these provinces had their provincial commissioners, had their assemblies and had their provincial scholarship boards.
So, it is a matter of nomenclature. The states should be provinces of the regions. I am putting together a book called Nigeria: Thoughts on the provision of a stable polity, and in that book, there is an article by Shehu Shagari that states should become provinces of the regions.
Eventually, when I met with him when I was putting together these ideas, he said that he found that his suggestion was not very well accepted, so he wasn’t pursuing it anymore.
What kind of political structure do you think will make Nigeria politically and economically viable?
Going back to history we negotiated over a decade starting from Ibadan Conference in 1951 up to the conferences in Nigeria in London and so on until independence in 1960 – a ten year period of negotiation and in the end what Nigerians agreed with the colonial masters on what would be the form of government on the basis of which they would be given independence was a federal form of government made up of three regions – North, East and West.
That was the form of government agreed with each region autonomous in many respects and with each region having its own Constitution and the Constitutions of the three regions annexed to the Federal Constitution in one document and with each region being able to develop at its own pace.
You will see for instance, Eastern Region that started as the poorest region, by 1966 the leadership had established agricultural plantations, rubber, cocoa plantations in Cross River State, palm in Anambra, Imo, Rivers and so on and they had industries, like Trans Amadi Industrial Estate in Port Harcourt, they were able to negotiate with foreign countries and were able to build the brewery in Umuahia, ceramic factory in Umuahia, the Calabar Cement Factory and there was development. They were able to build the University of Nigeria before the Federal Government took it over ten years after.
So, each region was given the freedom to exercise its initiative. It was Eastern Region that first started the Pay As You Earn tax in Nigeria. That was the creation of -21- Bon Ejike— the first minister of finance of Eastern Region in 1952 – Pay As You Earn, automatic deduction from salary. It was first started in Eastern Nigeria because when the region was founded they had to find means of raising money. It was in the East that they first started Entertainment Tax, if you went to cinema if it was One and Six, you paid three pence tax to the government.
People used their initiative. If you went to the North you would find groundnut pyramids in Kano everywhere. In the West, cocoa was booming and they used it to invest property in Lagos, Western House, WEMABOD, Cocoa House in Ibadan all that was based on the initiative. Even free education in the West and so on.
I did my analysis while I was in Kirikiri Prison, the only problem with the form of government that we had with that structure was that it was lopsided. The structure of the regions at independence was such that one region, the North was said to have been bigger than the two other regions, East and West and when even Mid-West was created the North was still bigger than East, West and Midwest and in a parliamentary system based on population, the membership of the parliament allocated more seats to Northern Region than to all other regions put together.
If as they did in the North, they all decided to go into one party, a Northern party, and they elected all their legislators on that party, then they would continue to have the leadership of the country for ever which would not be palatable to the rest of the country. That was one fault in the disparity in the size of the regions.
The second problem I discovered was that within each region, you had majority group and a group of minorities. In the West, the Yoruba were the majority group, and the minority group was what grouped together in what became the Midwest. In the East, the Igbo were the majority and the minority group called themselves the COR State – Calabar, Ogoja, Rivers. In the North, Hausa Fulani were the majority group and the minority were mostly the Middle Belt and to some extent, the Kanuri.
So, you had a struggle within each region between the majority and the minority. So, I decided to cure these two problems that we must have parity of regions between the Old North and the Old South and that was why I decided to have parity of geopolitical zones between the North and the South.
And it also helped to have parity between the majority regions and the minority regions; the majority regions being in the Northwest, mostly Hausa-Fulani, Southwest, mostly Yoruba and the Southeast , mostly Igbo; and the minority regions being Northeast where you have the Kanuri with a number of ethnic groups in Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba; and in the North Central you have Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger; and in the South you have the minorities in the former Midwestern Region and the minority of the Southeast region who together formed the South-South.
So instead of three regions, you now have six regions; three majority, three minority; three in the North, three in the South – parity between North and South, parity between majority and minority and the apportionment of representation would be as we negotiated with our colonial masters on the basis of which we got our independence.
What of representation at the National Assembly?
That will have to recognise the type of assembly we should have. Before we had a House of Representatives which was a House of the people based on population and we had a Senate which was based on equality of the regions.
So, in a real federation, the lower House represents the equality of all human beings within the country. Like in America, a state like Rhode Island will have two senators, New York will have two senators, California will have two senators, all the states will have two senators showing equality of the states in the upper chamber and equality of human beings means that New York may have 50 men in the House of Representatives whereas Nevada or North Dakota may have just two or three.
So would you go along with those who say that we should adopt a unicameral legislature to reduce cost?
In a federation, it won’t be wise to have one legislative body as you will have nothing to show that all the federating units are equal. It is the upper chamber that signifies the equality of the federating units.
The only problem is that we copied and abused it whereby we have full-time lawmakers. In the First Republic they had only one Long Session which lasted about six weeks for the consideration of the Appropriation Act and then another one for the Supplementary Appropriation Act, so they had two major sessions, and any other session was an emergency session lasting a few days, and they were all part-time members.
When they came, they were quartered in flats LEGCO Flats and they got sitting allowances on top of their salaries and salary wasn’t very much. Many of them were teachers, some local government officials and so on. But now, everybody who goes to the House of Representatives is a full-time person; he needs a fully furnished house, he needs legislative aides, he needs a constituency office.
Yes, all these are supposed to enhance the legislative process, but they cost a lot of money and how far this competence is enhanced is a matter of concern to some well-meaning people, because you find that some of these constituency offices, and there are some around here, you go there, and you just find a table and a chair, and you ask whether this is where a member of the House of Representatives is going to sit down and draft laws to be presented to the National Assembly? So, it is not a matter of having a single chamber just to save cost.
It is a matter of not adopting the American system hook, line, and sinker. But even in America, the congressmen have just modest accommodation in Washington; they take every opportunity to go back to their constituencies to stay with the people who elected them and to brief them on what is happening.
Will you then suggest that we go back to the parliamentary system with part-time legislators?
I am not advocating for a parliamentary system. I am ok with the presidential system, but it doesn’t have to have two chambers with full-time legislators assigned with a lot of staff, having staff at home and staff in Abuja.
Nefort: Taking a look at the attached map of geopolitical zones I think the South-east and South-south should have just been one geopolitical zone. The way the South-east almost cut through the south-south in half and the South-south looked like it wants to swallow the south-east doesn't appear to make sense to me. I would really like to know what influenced the decision to separate the south-east from the south-south as separate geopolitical zones.
The decision was taken by Dr Alex Ekwueme and he has explained how he took the decision.
1) Southerners are always afraid that this big North would dominate them, so he broke up the North into 3.
2) Minorities were always afraid that the majority would dominate them, so he separated the majority from the minority.
3) He created the North-West, so that the Hausa-Fulani would dominate in the zone.
4) He created the North-East, so that the Kanuri would dominate in the zone.
5) Northern minorities often complain that Hausa-Fulani or Kanuri want to dominate them, so he created North-Central for the northern minorities.
6) He created the South-West, so that Yorubas would dominate in the zone.
7) He created the South-East so that Igbos would dominate in the zone.
8 ) Southern minorities have often complained that they would be dominated by either the Yorubas or Igbos and so they wanted their own state, so Alex Ekwueme created the South-South for them.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s visa clampdown linked to Nigeria’s refusal to house asylum seekers
by Claire Mom July 11, 2025
Nigeria’s refusal to accept asylum seekers from the United States is partly responsible for the recent visa restrictions imposed on the country by President Donald Trump, TheCable can report.
TheCable understands that the talks are part of broader demands from the Trump administration, which are currently being negotiated.
Diplomatic sources told TheCable that the US president has been putting pressure on many countries to serve as temporary homes for asylum seekers until their cases are treated, and this usually takes up to seven years.
While some countries have agreed, Nigeria has refused to be part of the arrangement.
Trump typically raises the bar in negotiations by slamming very high penalties on the other party until he gets the better part of the bargain.
He has been applying this strategy in his tariff war with a number of countries.
VISA RELATIONS BETWEEN BOTH COUNTRIES
The US embassy had announced on Tuesday a reduction in the validity period and entry allowance for “most” non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians, effectively limiting the legality of their stay in the US to three months with a single entry.
An alleged imbalance in visa reciprocity from Nigeria was cited on social media as reason for the hard-hitting penalty, although the exact details were not made public by the US.
The announcement came as a shock to Nigerians and there were claims — now confirmed to be false — that Nigeria caused the policy change by stopping to issue five-year visas to American citizens.
A physical embassy-issued Nigerian visa for US citizens still has a validity that ranges from three months to five years, with either single or multiple entry — depending on the visa category.
Nigeria introduced its e-visa on March 1, aiming to make the process more accessible by eliminating the need for embassy visits and the highly poorly managed visa on arrival.
The e-visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issuance and allows single entry into Nigeria with a maximum stay of 30 days.
The changes were not limited to US citizens as they affected ALL non-ECOWAS nationals requiring visas to enter Nigeria.
However, the US does not offer such a visa category to Nigerians despite the reciprocity agreement.
Diplomatic sources told TheCable that the bone of contention is beyond the non-existent gaps in visa reciprocity.
FAILED DEAL TO SEND ASYLUM SEEKERS
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders aimed at deporting millions of “illegal immigrants” — many of whom are asylum seekers — back to their countries of origin.
The US also pressured third countries to accept deported individuals who were not their nationals, a move widely condemned by human rights groups.
Some of the considered Central American countries were El Salvador and Panama, while in Africa, Libya, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Djibouti were identified as preferred destinations.
A few of these countries have already received some deportees.
On June 9, the US supreme court cleared the way for migrants to be deported to third countries — even to those facing conflict — instead of returning them to their home nations.
TheCable learnt that the US also approached Nigeria to receive the deported asylum seekers.
While the specifics of the arrangement were not disclosed, diplomatic sources confirmed that discussions took place but were unsuccessful owing to Nigeria’s unwillingness to accept non-citizens, many of whom had a number of years left to finalise their asylum applications.
A large number of the deportees are also believed to be convicted prisoners.
The proposed arrangement closely mirrors the controversial asylum deal between the United Kingdom and Rwanda, which faced legal and political setbacks and remained largely unimplemented.
Under the scheme, the Home Office agreed to pay money to support economic growth in Rwanda and provide extra payments to cover the cost of processing and relocating migrants there.
The UK government has already paid £220 million to Rwanda under the arrangement. But shortly after assuming office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the plan had been “dead and buried”.
MORE DEMANDS
TheCable learnt that the US also pushed for the option of allowing its citizens to electronically apply for Nigeria’s five-year visa without visiting an embassy.
But sources familiar with the negotiations said Nigeria was not open to the request, citing concerns over reciprocity, as similar American visa privileges are not extended to Nigerians.
In its Tuesday updated visa policy, the US embassy said Nigeria still needs to meet certain criteria to improve the visa reciprocity standing.
The embassy listed the requirement to include issuing secure travel documents with verifiable identities, effectively managing visa overstays, and sharing relevant security and criminal record information with US authorities.
TheCable understands that what the US wants is access to Nigeria’s criminal database so that Nigerians with previous criminal records who are now living in the US can be identified for deportation.
'THE ART OF THE DEAL’
Since returning to the presidency, Trump has wielded the tactics outlined in his co-authored book, ‘The Art of the Deal’, as the blueprint for his approach to global negotiations, particularly on tariffs and migration deportations.
The president’s signature style — marked by bold threats, high-stakes brinkmanship, and a willingness to walk away — has shaped both US trade policy and immigration enforcement.
On tariffs, he has repeatedly imposed steep levies on trading partners, only to offer temporary reprieves as leverage for bilateral agreements.
Nigeria’s alignment with BRICS, an economic bloc Trump has repeatedly criticised, has done little to draw favours from the US presidency.
On Wednesday, Nigeria was conspicuously absent in Trump’s meeting with other African leaders at the White House aimed at improving economic cooperation .
In reaction to the visa policy update, Nigeria said the decision appeared misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect that should guide bilateral engagements between friendly nations.
Nigeria urged the US to reconsider its decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation, and shared global responsibilities.
Some say that the visa restrictions were imposed because of the African countries' refusal to accept 3rd country deportees (South Sudan is the only African country that has accepted to take 3rd country deportees from the US), but the American Government denies this and says that the restrictions were imposed based on the principle of reciprocity.
However, African countries like Nigeria and Ghana have said that the US action does not follow the principle of reciprocity and that it has actually created an imbalance in favour of the Americans.
These are the countries that are affected by the restrictions.
Here 31 African countries affected by 3-month US visa validity
Ghana kicks against US visa restrictions, cites reciprocal imbalance
by Victory Orimemi July 11, 2025
The Ghanaian government has kicked against the United States’ decision to impose non-immigrant visa restrictions on its nationals.
On Thursday, the US department of state announced that Ghanaian applicants for business, tourism, and student visas will now receive single-entry visas valid for three months.
Under the new rule, diplomatic categories are exempted, while K3 and K4 family-based visas will retain multiple-entry validity for up to 24 months.
However, in a statement dated July 10, Ghana’s ministry of foreign affairs said the restrictions differ from what American nationals enjoy in the country.
The ministry described the new policy as a “substantial variance” from the reciprocal visa arrangements between both countries.
“The Ministry acknowledges the legitimate concerns of Ghanaian travellers to the United States for professional, business, educational, touristic, medical, and family purposes and expresses its firm solidarity with all those inconvenienced,” the statement reads.
According to the ministry, Ghana’s diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C., and New York issued over 40,000 visas to US nationals between January and July 2025, with 70 percent granted as multiple entry.
The government also disclosed that Samuel Ablakwa, the foreign affairs minister, recently led a delegation to Washington to address the issue.
It described the meetings as “fruitful” and said further diplomatic engagement is expected.
“We hope for an early resolution of the concerns that have led to the revision of the schedule, which have been confirmed to be overstays, including by ensuring that the conduct of applicants aligns with the visa application procedures and requirements of the United States,” the ministry added.
The ministry said the government of Ghana remains committed to strengthening ties with the US and enhancing people-to-people relations.
Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar is the foreign minister of Nigeria. Lola Soneyin is an author and publisher and the daughter-in-law of Professor Wole Soyinka.
Channels Television @channelstv
'Flavour Flav has problems of his own, I can't do nothing for you, man', Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar references American rapper Flavour Flav, says Nigeria cannot accept Venezuelan prisoners
'Flavour Flav has problems of his own, I can't do nothing for you, man', Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar references American rapper Flavour Flav, says Nigeria cannot accept Venezuelan prisoners#PoliticsToday#CTVTweetspic.twitter.com/OndJd8va1v
@YusufTuggar Good evening, HM. All the people in my posse are saying you should release a thread of your Top 10 rap songs at the end of the year, plus a one-minute video explaining your picks. Thank you, sir. 🙌🏽
Ok @lolashoneyin here we go, don’t have to wait till end of the year :
1. My mind is playing tricks on me- Getto Boys 2. Paid in Full- Eric B & Rakim 3. Fight the Power- Public Enemy 5. Monie Luv- It’s a Shame 6. The Story of OJ- Jay Z 7. Get Your Freak On- Missy Elliot. 9. The Crown- Gary Byrd & the GB Experience 10. It takes Two- Rob Base 11. Nuthin but a G Thing- Snoop & Dre (simply couldn’t leave these 2 out) 12. Do For Luv- Tupac
Politics › Re: Peter Obi Pays Condolence Visits To Dantata And Maitama Sule Families (Photos) by naptu2(op): 6:37am On Jul 13, 2025*. Modified: 8:36am On Jul 13, 2025
