Introduction In Nigeria today, it has become painfully evident that education no longer pays. The irony is loud and clear: a person who has laboured through the grueling academic ladder – first degree, Master’s, and PhD – often finds themselves poorer than someone who sweeps office floors in other African countries. Across Africa and beyond, janitors and cleaners are treated with greater financial dignity than Nigerian scholars. This is not to smear the reputation of the janitors, or ridicule the honest cleaners; rather, it is to highlight the shameful undervaluing of academic excellence in Nigeria. When a PhD holder lives in debt, and a cleaner in South Africa, Kenya, or Ghana lives in dignity, something is tragically wrong with our system. It reveals, in the very depth, the misplacement of priorities in the country, and the endemic corruption that continues to perforate the socio-economic fabric of the Nigerian state. Table 1 and 2 below reveal frighteningly the dispar...
Power is a fickle mistress—demanding, intoxicating, and ultimately, insatiable. Those who wield it seldom relinquish it willingly, and those who inherit it are often too eager to break free from the shadows of their benefactors. In the heart of Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State, a storm brews between two titans of political intrigue—Nyesom Wike, the kingmaker, and Siminalayi Fubara, the king who refuses to be a pawn.
This is not just a political dispute; it is a grand tragedy in the making, a drama worthy of the great playwrights of history. It is about legacy, loyalty, and the inevitable moment when a protégé dares to dream beyond the master’s vision.
The Origin: When a Kingmaker Regrets His Choice
Every empire begins with a coronation, but not every king remains subservient to the hands that crowned him. Wike, the indomitable warlord of Rivers politics, once saw in Fubara an obedient steward—a man who would preserve his legacy, safeguard his interests, and rule as a proxy rather than an independent force.
For years, Fubara was the silent architect of financial order in Rivers State, an accountant-general who understood numbers but, perhaps, not the weight of destiny. Wike handpicked him for the governorship, expecting deference, not defiance. But once Fubara ascended the throne, something primal awakened within him—the ancient hunger of rulers to command, rather than be commanded. The crown sat upon his head, and suddenly, he was no longer just a figurehead. He was a man who had tasted power, and power has a way of changing the soul. And so, the inevitable betrayal began.
The House Divided: When Politics Becomes War
Loyalty in Nigerian politics is rarely ideological—it is transactional, built on patronage and the art of survival. Wike had built his fortress within the Rivers State House of Assembly, ensuring that the legislature was an extension of his will. But when Fubara refused to be shackled, the walls of that fortress cracked. In a stunning show of allegiance to the godfather, 27 lawmakers defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC)—a brazen act of rebellion against the sitting governor. It was not a mere party switch; it was a declaration of fealty to Wike and an open challenge to Fubara’s authority.
Fubara, sensing the noose tightening, fought back—seeking judicial intervention, political alliances, and the favour of the people. But the Supreme Court, stoic and unyielding, dismissed his plea. The defectors remained. The Assembly, once an instrument of governance, had become a weapon of war.
The Humiliation: a King Denied His Throne
Then came the moment that will live in political infamy—March 12, 2025.
Governors rule not just with authority, but with spectacle. The budget presentation is not merely a financial exercise; it is a ritual of power, a demonstration of dominance. But when Governor Fubara arrived at the State House to present the 2025 budget, he was met not with applause, but with locked doors. The message was clear. He was not the master of Rivers State; he was a guest in his own empire.
Humiliated and enraged, Fubara stood outside, his authority questioned, his power challenged, his legitimacy ridiculed. The lawmakers inside did not just reject his budget—they rejected him. In that moment, Rivers State witnessed a governor who could not govern, a leader stripped of his crown, a man fighting not just for a policy, but for survival itself. The gods of power are cruel, and on that day, they laughed crazily.
The Impeachment Shadow: Will the Godfather Strike the Final Blow?
Politics is a game of patience, and Wike is a master of the long play. As whispers of impeachment snake through the halls of government, the godfather speaks in riddles—suggesting that Fubara’s removal would be “nothing wrong.” It is both a prophecy and a warning.
The Assembly, still loyal to its true master, has the means to execute the final betrayal. But politics is never so simple. The people of Rivers State watch with bated breath, sensing that this battle is no longer just about two men—it is about the very soul of governance itself.
Will Wike press forward, orchestrating the final act of political annihilation? Or will Fubara, now hardened by betrayal, find a way to turn the tide?
The Unfinished Story: A Clash of Titans, a Reckoning of History
Power is never truly given. It is seized, wrestled from the hands of those who would hoard it, taken by those bold enough to claim it. Rivers State stands on the edge of destiny. Two men, once allies, now adversaries, are locked in a battle that will define not just their legacies, but the very fabric of governance in the region.
Will the kingmaker crush the king?
Will the rebel find his own army?
Will history favour the godfather or the defiant son?
Only one truth remains certain: in the ruthless theatre of power, only the strongest survive.
Okom, Emmanuel Njor (PhD)
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ReplyDeleteYeah, you are right, time and chance happen to them all, but what can we say of politicians who do politics without the fear of God; who believe that success depends on thier human frame alone?
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