On this Democracy Day, I had intended to rest my pen. I wanted to leave the fate written on the walls of history to speak for itself. I thought perhaps the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy were enough testimony. Yet, in the final hour, a thought stirred within me, compelling me to write a message to all of us who have come together to form this sovereign nation called Nigeria. My message is particularly for those who believe that the business of Nigeria lies in the hands of a powerful few. Perhaps they are influenced by what the German sociologist Robert Michels described as the "Iron Law of Oligarchy" ,the tendency for power to concentrate in the hands of a small elite. Looking at our politics, our institutions, and our economy, one may be tempted to believe that the destiny of Nigeria is determined only by those who occupy powerful offices and influential positions. But history tells a different story. Nigeria does not belong to any president, governor, politi...
By Abioye Tosin Lawrence
When Al Jazeera’s veteran journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was shot dead on May 11, 2022, in Jenin, occupied West Bank, something within me sensed that a larger storm was coming. Her killing was more than the death of a reporter, it was a signpost of a gathering tragedy that the world refused to interpret.
I remember watching how Al Jazeera remained unrelenting, demanding justice and truth. They pursued the case at every possible level, from diplomatic channels to the International Criminal Court (ICC), yet all efforts proved abortive. The silence of global power blocs and the failure of international institutions to hold anyone accountable deepened the wound. It sent a message: that even truth could be killed with impunity.
To me, that was when the seed of the present war was sown. The inability to obtain justice for Shireen
symbolized the world’s moral fatigue, a dangerous indifference that emboldens cycles of revenge and retaliation. The Holy Land, long bleeding between politics and prophecy, had once again lost its balance.
When the Israel–Hamas war broke out in October 2023, it didn’t come as a surprise to me. It felt inevitable, the eruption of anger, mistrust, and historical pain that had been simmering since that fatal morning in Jenin. The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh wasn’t just a headline; it was the spark of a suppressed fire.
If the world had listened, if justice had been done, perhaps the war that has now consumed thousands of lives could have been avoided. But history shows: whenever truth is ignored, blood soon follows.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the publisher of Oriontimes Online Newspaper.
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