March 17th 2023: The Senate Faces Budget Padding Accusations

June 12th, 1993 holds weight in Nigeria's recent political history. Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, won what was recorded as the fairest presidential election in Nigeria’s history. 30 years later in February 2023, host Deji Osikoya, along with Nigerians across the world, witnessed one of the more compromised democratic presidential elections in the country's history. Joined by writer, media entrepreneur and analyst, Lanre Idowu, the two comb through archives in search of the hope we lost in 1993. This episode is a republication from our sister podcast, Uncultured.

In this episode of 4th Republic, we’re joined by Ayo Adio, who is currently running for Local Government Chairman of Eti Osa in Lagos. His campaign is unconventional, youth-led, and rooted in the belief that real change begins at the local level.Adio walks us through the motivations behind his candidacy, the barriers he’s navigating as a first-time contender without political godfathers, and what he’s learning about the way local governance actually works in Nigeria.This conversation is a crash course in political courage, civic engagement, and the complexities of running for office in a system that often discourages independent thought.

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.

Prince Clem Agba has lived a rich life in the private and public sector. An aspirant in the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries for the Edo State Governor, he was the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning in President Buhari's administration. Before that, he'd served as a Commissioner in Adams Oshiomhole's administration (Environment and Public Utilities, Lands and Survey). His professional life was spent working at an oil and gas major. Throughout this conversation, he takes me through the course of his career, his heritage, and his ambition to rule the people of Edo. **This episode was recorded prior to the Edo primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On today's despatch, we break down the news around the Budget padding allegations leveled against the Senate, the opening of the Nigeria-Niger borders, and the reported withdrawal of Ruby Onwudiwe to the Nigerian Senate. Subscribe to Stomach Infrastructure ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

On today's despatch, we break down the news around the Code of Conduct Bureau's (CCB) inquiry of Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Shell's partial divestment from the Nigerian market, the Ibadan explosion and more. Subscribe to Stomach Infrastructure ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here

On today's despatch, we break down the news around the suspension of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister, Betta Edu, the sacking of Babtunde Irukera of the Federal Competition and Consum­er Protection Commission (FCCPC), and Alex Okoh of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Central Bank's regulatory measures against the boards of Titan Trust, Polaris, Union and Keystone banks and more. Subscribe to Stomach Infrastructure ⁠⁠⁠⁠here

On today's despatch, we break down the news around Nigeria's delegation to COP28t, the battle in Edo state to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki and the state of affairs in Ondo. Subscribe to Stomach Infrastructure ⁠⁠⁠here

On today's despatch, we break down the news around President Tinubu's supplementary budget, the godfather-godson battle between Nyesom Wike and Sim Fubara, the first son being on the receiving end of a presidential call out and the forthcoming off cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi. Subscribe to Stomach Infrastructure ⁠⁠here