Looking in at the Rivers State crisis between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his political godson, Governor Siminilaya Fubara, one cannot but come away with the impression that it is all about control of power and political relevance of Wike.
Interestingly, Wike may have learnt the art of political relevance from President Tinubu who had held sway in the politics of Lagos state since 1999 and across South-West States.
In an attempt to bring peace to Rivers State, especially considering the importance of Rivers State on Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings via crude oil production, it is necessary that the president must intervene. The Aso Rock meeting included the main actors, Wike, Fubara and other elders of the State. Notable members of the meeting included former Governor Peter Odili and traditional rulers of the State.
However, the agreement signed by Wike and Fubara has become a subject of controversy – other people who attended the meeting said the agreement was pre-written and foisted on Fubara to append his signature. Recently, Ankio Briggs, had come out on public television and radio stations to deny the integrity of the agreement.
The controversy that trailed President Tinubu’s intervention in the Rivers crisis has tainted the integrity of the spirit of the agreement between Fubara and Wike. There are speculations that it is intended to consolidate Wike’s influence, power, control and grip on the State. In a sentence, that agreement was slanted in Wike’s favour, QED.
Perhaps the recent letter written by the elders of Rivers State, led by former Governor Ada George, to president Tinubu, may have been triggered by allegations that the agreement was pre-written before the meeting to favour Wike. The elders described the agreement as a ‘presidential proclamation’ alien to the 1999 Constitution, as amended. They described it as a death sentence on Governor Fubara.
About a week to the Rivers crisis, President Tinubu inaugurated the Board of the NNPCL and gave them marching orders to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production to over 2 millon barrels per day. The crisis in Rivers state, if allowed to continue, has the potentials to further lead to a reduction of Nigeria’s crude oil production. This is one of the critical reasons, amongst others, that led Tinubu to wade into the crisis to provide political solution.
A cursory assessment of persons that were present at the ‘peace meeting’ in Aso Rock shows that it was slanted in favour of the APC. Apart from Governor Fubara, there was no presence of the PDP, both at state and national levels. In fact, the caretaker chairman of the APC, Tony Okocha, a protege of Wike was in attendance. Apart from former governor Odili and a scant number of Rivers elders, Fubara was alone like an orphan at the meeting.
The 8-Point agreement that was rolled out after the peace meeting, perhaps deliberately, did not mention the political status of the 25 PDP members who have defected to the APC. Yet, the agreement states that ‘all matters in court should be withdrawn by all parties’ involved in the crisis.
By the way, why was the fate of the 25 PDP House of Assembly decampees not captured in the agreement signed by Wike, Fubara, Odili and the Rivers state caretaker chairman of the APC? Perhaps Fubara will tell the people of Rivers state, who voted him into office, why he had to sacrifice their mandate to make peace reign.
Looking at the Rivers state crisis from outside, it is clear that President Tinubu is being tactically diplomatic in the management of the crisis, whilst careful to protect and save Wike from the long knives of the people of Rivers state, who have withdrawn their support for him, especially following the emperor-like status of Wike, while he was governor for 8 years. Remove Tinubu’s intervention from this scenario, public opinion and the people of Rivers state will bloody the nose and face of Wike in a matter of a few seconds, disgracing him and rendering him politically irrelevant.
With the 8-Point agreement that was slanted in Wike’s favour, especially the sections that recommended a reinstatement of commissioners that voluntarily resigned their appointments, it is nothing but a slap on the face of governor Fubara. After all, it is no secret that the commissioners owed their loyalty and allegiance to Wike.
Also, the section of the agreement that stated that the 25 assembly members that defected to the APC should be provided a venue by governor Fubara for their sitting is nothing but a breach of the 1999 constitution, as amended. As it is presently, the 25 House of Assembly members of the PDP that defected to the APC are standing with both of their legs in the APC. According to the case of Abegunde v Labour Party (2015) LPELR 24588 (SC), the Supreme Court held that a legislator, who abandoned the political party that sponsored him and defected to another political party, has automatically lost his seat in parliament.
Although, President Tinubu has no constitutional role to resolve the political crisis of Rivers State, while he may intervene in the crisis rocking the state, his intervention must always be grounded in the provisions of, and spirit of the Constitution.
We cannot place all the blame on President Tinubu for breaching the constitution to make peace. Governor Fubara also has his own share of blame. It’s befuddling that Fubara did not involve the PDP in the peace meeting of Aso Rock. If anything, Fubara seems to be acting like the proverbial pupil who had been dragged to the office of his school Headmaster for scolding.
Whatever the peace agreement signed by all parties involved in the Rivers crisis, it is a postponement of the evil day for Fubara. That agreement was against the spirit of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
Governor Fubara should be informed that it is not yet peace in Rivers state, the 25 assembly members that defected to the APC and Wike will soon come after him with long knives, reminiscent of cavalier tactics to throw him out of office. The 8-Point Agreement he signed in Aso Rock is not in his interest but a deliberate ploy by President Tinubu to save the honour of Wike and retain the ‘political structure’ that Wike claims to have built in the past 8 years for the governorship election of 2027.
Fubara should go back into history to search for the name, ‘Akinwumi Ambode’, and he will know what is in store for him. The Wike-Fubara peace ‘Agreement’ is of the graveyard and will resonate into year 2024. A word is enough for the wise.
By Ono. Eviosekwofa