Two boys were playing together in the garden. Soon, the play degenerated into an argument and they engaged in a shouting match. From afar, the father of the boys cautioned them to stop arguing and continue their play but they won’t budge. Shortly after, they lunged at each other and almost engaged in fisticuffs. The father at this point wades in. He ordered one of the boys, his step-son to go to the naughty corner and face the wall for six minutes while he told the other boy, his biological son to continue his play in the garden.
The above scenario aptly captures the developments in Rivers State. President Bola Tinubu on March 18 2025, declared a six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, following the political crisis that pitched the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, against the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike on one hand and the State House of Assembly on the other.
The disagreement was primarily between Wike, the immediate past Rivers state governor and Fubara, one of his long standing allies whom he installed as his successor. Wike’s angst was that he may lose his political status in Rivers as Fubara was allegedly trying to bring down the structures that helped him to become governor. After almost two years of unending strife without any headway, president Tinubu, as the father of the nation, decided to wield the big stick by suspending Fubara and his deputy for six months. He also suspended the members of the Rivers Assembly but every right discerning person knows they are not the major gladiator in the battle, just a pawn in the game. He left Wike to continue his job in his cabinet.
Of course, the president’s action has elicited mixed reactions from Nigerians. While some have argued that based on the provisions of sections 1(2), 14(1)(c), 176(1) (2) and 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the suspension of democratically elected officials in Rivers state is unlawful and unconstitutional, others have justified the suspension, saying no responsible government will fold its hands and allow Rivers State, a major economic lifeline of the country to go up in flames.
However, majority of Nigerians share the views that in order to be fair, the president should have also suspended Wike, who is a major player in the crisis rocking the state. This would have made him sober and take a deep introspection over the issues at a stake. But that is not to be as Fubara’s temporary displacement seems to have given Wike a kind of feeling that he has the upper hand. He has been granting interviews with his characteristic bumptiousness while Fubara is at home licking his wounds and brooding over the incident.
In the latest media parley he had with some select journalists, Wike even expressed dissatisfaction with the presidential declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspension of the governor, saying what he wanted was outright removal.
Hear him “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers state. I wanted the outright removal of the governor. But for the interest of the state, the president did the right thing to prevent anarchy in the state. The matter is in court but people must say the truth. The governor was gone. It is not on my place to make it good for the governor. As a politician, my business is not to make him comfortable and that is why there is power plane.”
Wike’s remarks are grossly unacceptable, a direct affront to the president and one would have expected the presidency to call him to order, telling him to face the task assigned to him in the FCT. Whether his intervention is constitutional or not, the president has acted in what he considers the best interest of Rivers. Fubara who was at the receiving end has quietly accepted his fate but Wike continues to talk garrulously and pouring petrol on fire. His comments, if left unchecked can infuriate the supporters of Fubara, many of whom have been made redundant by the sole administrator, Ibok-Ette Ibas who appears to be pursuing an ‘obliterate anything Fubara’ agenda.
Wike was even seen in a video last week in London where he hosted the suspended lawmakers. Of course, that is one of the consequences of his not being suspended. In the recent media parley, he even said he is ready to forgive Fubara if he apologises to him. Except if he truly knows from within his heart that he wronged Wike but if not, I think it will be very idiotic for Fubara to offer any apology at this point. If his fight with Wike is not because of any breach of agreement (Ngige-Chris Uba saga), if it is for the interest of the good people of Rivers state, then any apology from him will amount to utter wimpishness.
I am not in support of Fubara. He keeps creating an impression of a flawless ‘Sim’ple man but that appears to be a mere facade. In fact, I was alarmed last week when I read reports that he donated the sum of N300 million to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to hold a conference in Rivers State. Only God knows how much of Rivers resources he has donated so far, yet he created the impression of a man who places preimum on frugality and is judiciously using tax payers money . Nobody would have known this if not for his suspension from office and the fact that the NBA moved the conference away from Rivers state, which prompted the sole administrator to ask for a refund.
What however impresses me about Fubara is the maturity and dignified silence he has maintained since his suspension. One inciting word from him to his supporters could have set the state on fire. He has however remained silent, allowing Nigerians, especially Rivers women to fight the battle on his behalf. That is quite commendable and his silence shouldn’t be taken as a sign of weakness.
On the other hand, Wike too should have a sober reflection. The current face- off between him and Fubara, is it Karma at work? The law of Karma states that your deeds and actions, whether good or bad, will eventually return to you. I read an old news item recently where former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi was more or less, lamenting recommending Wike, who was his former Chief of Staff to be a Minister. Amaechi while addressing clergymen of the Niger Delta Bishops’ Forum who visited him in Government House, Port Harcourt in August 2013 said “I hear you also visited Nyesom Wike. I try not to talk about Wike. I say so because he is my subordinate, I try not to talk about him but I hear you visited him. Why I won’t talk about him is that Nyesom Wike, his second tenure as Obio Akpor Council Chairman was by the grace of God but I was the architect of that second term. Nyesom Wike was appointed Chief of Staff by me. Nyesom Wike as a Minister of State, I nominated him. I was under pressure by the President to drop him, I refused. The President persuaded me to drop him and bring a woman but I refused. I hear he is going all over town saying I didn’t appoint him. I didn’t appoint him, the President appointed him but I nominated him to be a minister as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum. I did but you know, character doesn’t come easily, character is a very difficult thing and I am a man of character”.
In writing this article, I sought the opinion of a senior lawyer on why the president didn’t suspend Wike. Though he chose to remain anonymous, he said “It will appear that the president has taken a side in the Rivers crisis. Much as he tries to put up a face, it is very evident that he has leaned in the direction of Wike. For a balance of the situation, something should have been done to Wike to show a kind of fairness but the presidency do not see it that way. Their view is that if Wike was suspended, it will seem like a punishment. They believed that the suspension of democratically elected institutions in Rivers is not seen as a suspension but as a temporary solution to the crisis. According to them, the governor would have been impeached and the crisis would have escalated but by suspending him, the president has saved him from impeachment. However, that argument does not gel with the average Nigerian who thinks that Wike, being a major player in the crisis would have also been awarded a penalty”.
In conclusion, there are pertinent questions to ask which are very germane to the Rivers crisis. Will the president’s intervention bring a permanent solution to the crisis in the state? After the six months suspension is over, what next? With no peace-making efforts in sight, will the president extend the suspension, thereby technically keeping Fubara out of office till almost the end of his tenure? With Wike still firing from all cylinders and saying he wants an outright removal of Fubara, will that improve or worsen an already bad situation? 11 PDP governors are challenging Fubara’s suspension in court, if they triumph, will the president respect the court order and terminate the reign of the sole administrator?
What happens if after six months, the president restores Fubara to his position and the lawmakers loyal to Wike still go ahead and impeach him?
