Wike, Fubara Imroglio – A Tale of Two Governors?

The recent face-off between ex-Governor Nyelson Wike and his god-son successor of Rivers State South-South Nigeria, Similayi Fubara, belies the Opaque condescending posture of a manipulated democratic governance in the country today, where Rulers exhibit an all is well attitude when everything about them is amiss. Governance as a result, is often reduced to a chess game of money sharing among gladiators in the corridors of power.

The political actors wield powers with least concern for the hapless citizens, trade their collective destiny for their comfort and those of few mindless oligarchs, their families and hangers on.
Rivers is on Keliglights as an oil-producing state, where power mongers deploy political muzzles for political ends. It is a story of “grab Rivers and possess the key to her vault”. This is why elections in Rivers State are acrimoniously contested among major political parties, and fuelled by god-fathers in ferenetic war of attrition and destruction.

The political crisis in the oil-rich state might not have been so worrisome but for the depth of rot exhibited by the two power contenders for control, with dire consequences on peace and well-being of Indigenes and residents of the State.
Ex-Governor Wike and his successor have by their utterances, and demeanors betrayed every sense of decorum, integrity and disposition to good governance.

The Ex-Governor was accused of demanding a monthly return of twenty five (25%) percent of the state internally generated revenue. Wike was accused of extending absolute dictatorship, (a hall-mark of his Administration) to the political governance of his successor. This is believed to have made the Executive, Legislative and Judicial operators to kowtow in subjugation to the Lord Mayor of Abuja.

The inference is that, Similayi Fubara is Governor of Rivers State in name. His, is the first worse case scenario of a Governor de-robed of real power, whose decisions are not his, and who is rail-roaded into appending his signatures on documents approved by Master Wike in Abuja.

Inspite of the proclivity of Nigeria’s democracy for absurdities made of it by its political godfathers, the public exposure of Ex-Governor Nyelson Wike’s Jugular hold on Rivers State for Eight (8) years and his penchant for its continuation in the Fubara Governorship makes nonsense of succession principle in democracy.

Similayi Fubara may go down in history as the worst lame-duck Governor, having condescended to rule under a shadowy god-father, who initiates and approves decisions on where funds appertaining to the state are funneled.

Speculations are rife that Rivers State Government was handed to Fubara after he agreed to sign certain documents which purportedly gave Wike the power to appoint key officers in the Executive arm, nominated virtually all members of the State Legislature, apart from Influencing appointments into ministries, parastatals and agencies of government.

Why did Similayi Fubara sign such documents? Is he not aware of its consequences? The attempt to question his god-father and the melee that ensued can thus be described as Fubara’s last ditch effort to save his job and political career. The same may be applicable to Nyelson Wike who is unwilling to brook any challenge to his authority or allow a mutilation of his political structure and dominance in Rivers State.

Rivers State is in the eyes of the world today unfortunately for wrong reasons. No thanks to the supremacy battle between a Governor who wants to truly govern and a god-father who wants to rule two states.

The control for the soul of Rivers State is a rehash of the 18th Century storming of the Bastilles, by Revolution insurgents, recruited from the ranks of ordinary, lowly-placed French Parisians.

The medieval armory fortress and political prison fell, after four (4hrs) hours of bloody fight that left ninety four (94) soldiers dead. The takeover of Bastille has become an enduring chapter in the history of the French Revolution and a symbol of resistance to absolutism and freedom for the oppressed.

Is Similayi Fubara attempting to replicate the 14th July, 1789 French history of resistance? Can he succeed? Subsequent developments will tell, but not until either of the two gladiators get each down.

Olusola Ajiboye,
A Creative Writer and Media Consultant based in Osogbo