THE GREATEST tragedy of our democratic experience is that those who once provided thuggery services to politicians are now holding public office. They’ve transitioned from enforcers to office holders, occupying positions such as local government chairmen, commissioners, state and federal legislators, and even state governors. However, they seem to be stuck in their old ways, relying on violence and conquest rather than embracing the civilised principles of democracy, which emphasise dialogue, intellectual discourse, compromise, and mutual respect. As a result, they struggle with the concept of shared political space and often view politics as a zero-sum game.
The current situation in Rivers State and other parts of Nigeria is a direct result of our political elite’s complicity in empowering thugs and cultists. In the early days of the Fourth Republic, politicians weaponised youth gangs for electoral gains, fuelling violence, arms proliferation, and a culture of impunity. What began as university cultism morphed into community-based terror, with Rivers State becoming a notorious example. Today, the elite who created this monster are reaping the consequences, having lost their moral authority to shape the narrative.
Minister Wike has seemingly abandoned his ministerial duties in Abuja, instead embarking on a campaign trail across Rivers State, touting a rainbow coalition and a purported agreement between APC and PDP to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Surprisingly, INEC has yet to take him to task despite the absence of an election timetable.
The political actors in Rivers State pose a significant threat to Nigeria’s democracy if not managed effectively. The notion that an entire state can be controlled by one person or a select group is antithetical to democratic principles. Our democracy, which is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, as defined by Abraham Lincoln, has been subverted by unscrupulous political elites who have militarised the political space. This has reduced our society to a theatre of the absurd, where the privileged few hold sway and the majority are left feeling powerless.
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Minister Nyesom Wike’s brazen claim that he single-handedly sponsored all political office seekers in Rivers State in 2023 is alarming. By doing so, he has undermined the democratic process and usurped the people’s right to choose their leaders. This action poses a significant threat to democracy, as it reduces the electoral process to a mere formality where the outcome is predetermined by a powerful individual. Essentially, Wike has turned Rivers State into his personal fiefdom, hiring people to run it on his behalf.
The Rivers State House of Assembly’s theatrics and blatant disregard for due process are a desperate attempt to curry favour with their godfather, rather than serving the interests of the governor or the people. Unfortunately, they’ve forgotten that Minister Nyesom Wike is the only opposition figure worth considering. A closer look at the reasons for impeachment reveals a lack of substance. The 2025 appropriation bill was submitted to the National Assembly during an emergency rule period and has been duly passed into law. Moreover, allegations of the governor’s illegal spending are unfounded and lack evidence.
If the documents circulating on social media are indeed the agreement in question, then it’s unfortunate for Wike and his supporters that they seem to be unaware that the conditions under which the agreement was signed have long expired.
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When the agreement was signed, Governor Sim Fubara was the only outlier in their circle, while the state House of Assembly members had already defected to APC, and Wike was closely aligned with the President. Fubara entered the agreement as a lamb prepared to be crucified in the Golgotha of Aso Rock. He was actually crucified in that agreement. However, his subsequent actions, including joining APC, have given him a new lease on life. Once in APC, past transgressions are forgiven, and Fubara has emerged stronger. The era of crucifixion is over; a new chapter has begun.
The APC and the President must ensure that no single opposition figure is allowed to dictate the fate of a sitting governor of the ruling party. If this happens, it would expose the party’s weakness. The APC leadership at the national level should rein in the state assembly and prevent any actions that could undermine the governor’s authority. Furthermore, the President should recognise that an employee who cannot be controlled is a liability. If Minister Wike’s influence has grown to the point where he’s perceived as beyond control, then it’s time for him to reassess his position.
When politics is stripped of decorum, civility, patriotism, and statesmanship, it devolves into war – Darwin’s survival of the fittest. The social contract is broken, and society regresses into chaos. It is imperative that no part of Nigeria is allowed to become a theatre of the absurd, where might makes right and the rule of law is disregarded.
Minister Wike has seemingly abandoned his ministerial duties in Abuja, instead embarking on a campaign trail across Rivers State, touting a rainbow coalition and a purported agreement between APC and PDP to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Surprisingly, INEC has yet to take him to task despite the absence of an election timetable.
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The situation in Rivers State is volatile and has the potential to ignite the entire region. We must not forget the lessons of the past, where political thuggery and cult clashes escalated into a full-blown resource control crisis that nearly consumed the region. It took the wise leadership of the late Yar’Adua to steer the country out of that quagmire. With tensions simmering in multiple regions, we cannot afford to have two geopolitical zones ablaze in the North and another two in the South.
At this moment in the brewing crisis in Rivers State, silence is not Golden. The president is expected to make his position firmly known. The President Tinubu I known is not a weakling. He a courageous political strategist that will not allow the ambition of another person to jeopardise his own ambition. I remember that after he was defeated in a free and fair contest in 2023 presidential election in Lagos, his supporters came out in fury to stop non-Yorubas from voting in the gubernatorial election. They realised that free and fair contest will not be in their favour. In Rivers State, from presidential to gubernatorial, the entire process was hamstrung and directed towards the desire of one man.
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I strongly believe that Wike’s reluctance to allow free and fair elections in Rivers State stems from his lack of genuine popularity among the people. Some argue that he has never won an election without controversy. His supporters are often seen as paid crowds, more interested in personal gain than genuine allegiance. It is unlikely that Wike could win a free and fair election in any local government area in Rivers State today. The silence of the true people of Rivers and the state’s elites suggests that they are waiting to see how this situation will play out.
When politics is stripped of decorum, civility, patriotism, and statesmanship, it devolves into war – Darwin’s survival of the fittest. The social contract is broken, and society regresses into chaos. It is imperative that no part of Nigeria is allowed to become a theatre of the absurd, where might makes right and the rule of law is disregarded.
Comrade Amechi is a Lagose-based trade union activist and pro-democracy advocate.
