By Muhammad Hassan-Tom
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The poor will want the wealth of the rich and democracy will give it to them. Young people will want to be respected as elderly and democracy will give it to them. Women will like to be like men and democracy will give it to them. Foreigners will want the rights of the natives and democracy will give it to them. Thieves and fraudsters will want important government functions and democracy will give it to them. And when thieves and fraudsters finally democratically take authority because criminals and evildoers want power, there will be worse dictatorship than under any monarchy or oligarchy.” Socrates 470-399BC
Arguably, no one in this democratic dispensation successfully showcases the ‘gra-gra’ system of achieving aims as Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). ‘Gra-gra’ or the art of bundling, hurrying, hustling, jostling and manhandling men and materials is momentarily successful because it mimics precocity. This is why it thrives well wherever ignorance and illiteracy prevail and is a popular strategy of egomaniacs, egotists, empty-barrels, dictators, narcissists, self-aggrandisers and show-offs.
The sinewy 57-year old lawyer and politician who was a two-term tenure governor of the oil-rich Rivers State, was also executive chairman at Obio-Akpor local government area between 1999 and 2007, chief of staff to the governor of Rivers State, minister of state for education, acting minister for education and assumed office of FCT Minister since 21st August 2023. Just before this, he pitched powerfully for the Presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and came second in the primaries held in Abuja on 28th and 29th May 2022.
Few political figures are enjoying such steady participation and uninterrupted involvement in politics since the return of democracy in Nigeria 25 years ago. Flash-in-the-pan or the proverbial 15-minutes of fame is the common fare for the ordinary politicians. Even those who tried the tread such as Salisu Buhari, Rotimi Amaechi, Ayo Fayose, Orji Kalu, Farouk Lawan, Femi Fani-Kayode and Dino Melaye have all faded away fast. Nigerians have even coined a caption for their type of success: ‘wicked.’ Whatever, Wike is a wily and wiry cat-with-nine-life who is continuously occupying plum political offices by-fire-by-force.
Fortuitously, like all such self-serving schematics, ‘gra-gra’ fails in the long run because you cannot fool all the people all the time. It is the most unsustainable strategy as its success depends on highly volatile variables: information and knowledge now circulate at the speed of light. Moreover, manipulators construct the detonators of their own destruction by their doings.
Wike’s political undoing started with his predictably failed attempt to assert control over Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. His cup started running over since he handed over to the latter on the 29th May 2023 and demanded to continue controlling power and resources. Unexpectedly, ending the era of godfathers is one thing Fubara seems set to ensure so as to place the state on the path of progress.
Ever since, it has been a cat-and-mouse game between the forces that recently escalated into arson and violence. On October 8 2024, thugs loyal to Wike unleashed attacks on local government council secretariats killing at least five people and chasing away the newly sworn-in chairmen of the LGAs. At least four of the LGA secretariats at Eleme, Emohua, Ikwerre and Etche were burnt down. The attacks came just hours after police officers withdrew from the locations, following the swearing-in of the newly elected local council chairmen in the state.
Expressing concern over the reports of arson and violence, President Bola Tinubu directed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to restore peace and provide security to the local government councils across the state. He also urged those dissatisfied with the election process to approach the courts, emphasising that violence had no place in a democracy. “The judiciary can settle all political disputes and the outcome of this election should be no exception,” Tinubu said, stressing the importance of maintaining peace and order after 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.
On his part, Governor Fubara said he was disappointed with the level of mayhem unleashed on the state by those he described as miscreants working to derail the progress being made. He warned that while he is always trying to pursue the path of peace, his meekness should not be interpreted as weakness. He said the police moving out of the secretariats paved the opportunity for the miscreants to carry out their dastardly acts. He said in view of that he supports the return of the police but that they should allow the elected council chairmen to do their work.
Prominent politicians including those in Wike’s PDP have warned against the course of confrontation. For instance, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George in an open letter to President Tinubu, urged him to call Wike to order. George commended the conduct of the local government elections, stating that the people of Rivers had exercised their civic rights, adding that Wike should step back and let Fubara deliver the dividends of democracy. He even warned that the on-going political feud in Rivers could escalate into a major crisis, drawing parallels to the political turmoil in the defunct Western Region from 1962 to 1966, which he said contributed to Nigeria’s first military coup which eventually led to the civil war, which claimed millions of lives. According to him, “If this democracy is truncated, Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, will be the biggest loser.”
IGP Egbetokun seems to be siding with certain politicians by withdrawing police security for the elections. In response, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) called on him to take off his uniform and join the ruling party. At least, he should be held accountable for the breakdown of law and order in the state. Claims that the police acted in accordance with a Federal High Court ruling barring their involvement in the elections are laughable because a counter-order from the Rivers State High Court directed the police to provide security.
Wike’s cajoling of Federal Government forces behind him amounts to overkill. His attempt to prevent the polls even though the state risks its ability to access LG allocations due to absence of elected officials is the height of sabotage. His actions and utterances both before and after the LG elections seem geared to render Rivers State ungovernable so as to enable declaration of a state of emergency.
Nigeria cannot afford a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State, the hub of the critical oil and gas sectors. Going forward, Nigerians need not be resigned to the grim fact that Western-style democracy is designed to throw-up the most peculiar personalities into positions of power. It may be the most arbitrary method for leadership recruitment ever used by mankind but we can elect better leaders.
Wike simply needs to let go for the sake of the people of Rivers State and Nigeria at large. He does not need to burn down the state with his restless ambition and reckless actions. He must allow Governor Fubara to work.
