Nigerian Chronicles

  Top 10 African Countries With Dictators or Authoritarian Leaders in 2026 Africa is home to some of the world's longest-serving presidents, military rulers and political strongmen. While many African countries hold elections, elections alone do not always guarantee that citizens have a genuinely competitive choice. In some countries, opposition parties face restrictions, independent media operate under pressure, presidents remain in power for decades, or military governments have suspended normal democratic processes. The word “dictator” is often used to describe such leaders, although political scientists and human-rights organizations more commonly use terms such as authoritarian leader, strongman or military ruler. Based on the concentration of political power, restrictions on political competition, length of rule and recent assessments of political freedoms, here are 10 African countries associated with some of the continent's strongest authoritarian leadership in 2026. 1....

  Could Israel’s Election System Work in Nigeria? How Proportional Representation Could Change Nigerian Politics Nigeria’s elections have always generated intense debates about vote counting, electoral manipulation, winner-takes-all politics and whether every vote truly carries the same political weight. But what if Nigeria adopted an electoral system in which political parties received seats in the National Assembly largely according to the percentage of votes they won? That is one of the most interesting features of Israel’s parliamentary system. Israel uses a nationwide proportional representation system for its 120-member Knesset. Instead of voters directly electing individual lawmakers in separate constituencies, they primarily vote for political parties. The seats are then distributed according to the parties’ share of the national vote, subject to Israel’s electoral threshold. The system creates a completely different political environment. A party can win many votes without...

VDM Fires Back at Davido Again: The Political Clash That Has Nigerians Talking VeryDarkMan and Afrobeats superstar Davido are once again at the centre of a heated online conversation, but this time the disagreement goes beyond entertainment. The latest clash has dragged politics, Governor Ademola Adeleke, President Bola Tinubu and the 2027 election into the middle of their already complicated relationship. Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has made it clear that his past friendship with Davido will not stop him from criticising the singer when he believes his actions deserve public scrutiny. The latest development has generated fresh reactions across Nigeria, especially because VDM and Davido were previously known to have a friendly relationship. According to a report published on October 18, VDM responded to criticism that he should not attack Davido because the singer had previously supported his NGO. VDM rejected that argument, saying ...

  Mohammed bin Salman: How Saudi Arabia's Young Prince Quietly Took Power From His Cousin and Became the Kingdom's Most Powerful Man For decades, Saudi Arabia followed a succession system that was different from many other monarchies. The throne normally moved among the sons of the kingdom's founder, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, rather than automatically passing from father to son. That system began to change dramatically after King Salman became ruler in 2015. At the centre of the change was his young son, Mohammed bin Salman, popularly known as MBS. Within only a few years, the prince moved from being a relatively unknown member of the huge Saudi royal family to becoming the kingdom's most powerful political figure. His rise included the removal of his cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, from the position of crown prince in June 2017. Some observers have described the episode as a quiet coup inside the royal palace because of how quickly power shifted from one prince to another a...

  Muslim Brotherhood: How It Started, How It Spread and Its Role in the Wars Shaping the Middle East The Middle East has been shaped by wars, religious disagreements, political struggles and battles over land and power for more than a century. Behind some of the region's political movements is an organization that has survived almost 100 years of arrests, wars, political victories, military coups and government crackdowns. That organization is the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood started as a religious and social reform movement. Its founders wanted Muslims to return to what they considered a stronger Islamic way of life and to resist what they saw as harmful Western influence. Over time, however, the organization became deeply involved in politics. It spread from Egypt into Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other countries. Its history is complicated. Some Brotherhood branches have participated in elections and built schoo...

  Israel’s 2026 Election: Netanyahu, Eisenkot and the Battle for Israel’s Next Government Israel is heading toward one of the most important elections in its recent history, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting to remain in power while a group of opposition parties is trying to end his long political career. The Israeli national election is scheduled for October 27, 2026, and the result could determine not only who leads Israel but also how the country deals with the wars and security challenges in the Middle East, its relationship with the United States and Europe, and its increasingly difficult relationship with the Palestinians. The election is especially important because it is the first Israeli national election since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack that shocked Israel and triggered a devastating regional conflict involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu remains one of Israel's most powerful and experienced politicians, but his position is under serious pres...