The disquiet between former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his anointed and appointed successor in the state, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in the last weeks, assumed a proportion that left the political landscape divided in halves among those who have sympathy for the former and a growing population of sympathisers for the latter who are now happy that he has finally stood up to his overbearing benefactor.
This face-off between Wike and Fubara would go down as unprecedented because not only did it become public so early, but also there were already visible cracks in their relationship even before the swearing in of Fubara on May 29.
Recall that Wike had warned the then incoming governor not to have anything to do with those who are their enemies and those bent on creating rift between him and the “state elders,” warning that if he does then the “enemies will catch you.”
He promised not to disturb Fubara’s administration as long as he keeps on the straight and narrow and does not hobnob with his enemies.
Speaking at the thanksgiving service to mark the end of his tenure as governor at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Diobu, he said, “We will not disturb you from running your administration, but we will not allow you to make us cry…”
Much as they had tried in vain to paper over the brewing crisis as a non-issue, it was only a matter of time before it blew open. Wike had said that the Rivers crisis was a PDP affair and that the party was looking into it.
Fubara on his part also attempted to play down the crisis when he said the crisis was merely a problem between “father and son.”
However, a few months after, Wike openly fell out with his godson and told the world after a meeting with some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in Abuja that Mr. Fubara was hobnobbing with his political adversaries.
He was reported to have said, “You cannot work, and people will begin to bring enemies; those who fought you when you were struggling for the person to be in office. Nobody does that.”
Wike also claimed that Fubara was trying to take control of the PDP structure in Rivers.
“I am not a political ingrate but don’t touch the political structure of the state. I will not shut my eyes,” Mr Wike said.
After a failed attempt to impeach him, and like a wounded lion, Fubara fought back with a mysterious fire at the state House of Assembly. Governor Fubara’s pretentious visit to the scene ended in a fiasco that saw the governor’s convoy shot at. He met a mob of thugs and irate policemen. He was greeted with tear gas smoke and water cannons.
One report said a police personnel may have fired the live shots in the direction of the governor. The governor later alleged that the shot was fired at him. In the confusion, street mobs quickly built up as rival protests took to the streets in solidarity with their choice of patrons and principals.
The police claimed that Governor Fubara was in the midst of “aggressive” people who were marching towards the Rivers House of Assembly Complex and that the operatives deployed “non-lethal crowd control equipment including tear gas and water cannon to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters.”
The state lawmakers, as part of their moves against Mr. Fubara, had suspended the House Leader, Edison Ehie, and other three lawmakers – Victor Okoh (Bonny Constituency), Goodboy Sokari (Ahoada West Constituency) and Adulphus Timothy (Opobo/Nkoro Constituency) – said to be the governor’s loyalist.
In one fell swoop, 27 of the lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule, representing Obio-Akpor Constituency 1 after their failed attempt to impeach the governor, but were interrupted by the governor and four other lawmakers loyal to him, defected from PDP to APC.
Following the tussle, four pro-Fubara members of the house convened and impeached the Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, and elected Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, representing Ahoada East Constituency 2 as the new Speaker of the state assembly. The seats of the 27 pro-Wike legislators were subsequently declared vacant with the PDP calling on INEC to conduct elections to fill the vacant seats.
The two factions of the state assembly had since been convening separate plenary at different locations, although a state high court presided over by Justice M. W. Danagogo had restrained Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule from performing legislative functions as speaker.
Just when we thought we had seen enough, came the demolition of the state assembly complex. This move is seen by political watchers as a ploy by Governor Fubara to dislodge the pro-Wike legislators, in spite of the governor’s denial to the contrary.
A statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Joseph said, after the assessment of the integrity of the complex, experts warned the government that continuing use of the building in its present state would be disastrous.
If you believe this, you can believe anything, especially since this action is not novel and had been employed by some governors before now. But Fubara’s total demolition remains unprecedented.
The aftermath of the demolition saw at least six commissioners who are loyal to Wike, resigning from their offices in the cabinet of Governor Fubara.
The five commissioners, who were inherited by Governor Fubara, had previously served in similar capacities during the administration of Wike as governor of the state.
Meanwhile, lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule on Thursday held a plenary and passed two bills, as well as condemned the Assembly Chamber demolition by the state government. The sitting by Amaewhule-led assembly members was in defiance to a Rivers State High Court interim order.
At about the same day, too, the faction led by Rt. Hon. Ehie Edison, as Speaker, was celebrating the signing of the budget passed the previous day by the governor to an assembly of about five members.
In presenting the budget to the governor for ascent, the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Adolphus Orubienimigha, explained that members gave due diligence in deliberating on each item and gave careful consideration to passing the appropriation bill.
Fubara signed the 2024 appropriation bill of N800 billion into law at the Government House.
While it’s a fact that Wike installed Fubara as successor, he should not be totally surprised by the events that are now playing out. The battle between godfathers and their godsons is as old as this current republic which started in 1999.
Two other such dramatic tussles between benefactors and their beneficiaries, were that of Uzor Kalu and his anointed son, Theodore Orji in Abia and the more recent one between Adams Oshiomhole and Godwin Obaseki in Edo State.
Wike, like Kalu and Oshiomhole before him, is essentially an imperial politician. He ruled Rivers State like an emperor, dominating not only his government but also the entire state. He abused and insulted his predecessor, hounded his former associates even within the PDP, destabilized the PDP at the national level. Wike cajoled, threatened or starved his adversaries, including perceived critical media organisations of patronage.
The lesson for Wike is that he must learn from the experiences of Kalu and Oshiomhole, who against all advice to allow their successors a little breathing space to operate refused until their godsons practically threw them into oblivion and political wilderness. Not all godsons would be like Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos who simply succumbed to the pressure of his godfather and now president Bola Tinubu.
Wike must tread softly or he will fall like did those godfathers before him. After all, his claims to bankrolling Fubara’s ambition and those of the other elected politicians in the state were not from his pocket but from the resources of the state.
Fubara must be allowed to function fully as elected governor of the state; Wike must concentrate on his job as Minister of the FCT. Wike’s time as governor of Rivers is over. This is an unpalatable truism that he must accept, because Fubara doesn’t look like someone that would chicken out. Else, in his attempt to chase two rats at the same time, Wike might just lose them both as did Oshiomhole.
