Eniola Bello's "Shadows of a Troubled Republic" Released

"Shadows of a Troubled Republic" is the first volume of a two-part work by Eniola Bello, comprising 928 pages and 70 essays that span 25 years of opinion articles. The collection tracks the governance of five administrations in Nigeria: Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari, and the early Tinubu period.

It addresses recurring crises such as electoral fraud, executive-legislature conflicts, corruption, and insecurity, reflecting the gap between constitutional promises and the realities faced by Nigerians. The essays are termed "Protest Essays," as they critique unacceptable leadership and governance.

The book opens with a Prologue discussing a notable encounter with Col. Frank Omenka from the Abacha era, and includes a Foreword by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, linking it to African protest literature.

The Introduction uses the metaphor of a boy chasing his shadow to symbolize Nigeria's ongoing struggle for a sustainable political identity, covering events from June 1999 to the eve of the Tinubu presidency.