There is no denying the obvious fact that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is a phenomenon of sorts.
Since the coming to power of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his membership of the Federal Executive Council, he has stamped his identity, personality and no ‘ non sense mien into his job both as a serving minister desirous of being noticed through changes he has made to his portfolio and office but also by the political capital he has brought to his job for his boss and ally.
This explains why he has in his ‘brief’ why he has to portray why Tinubu needs him.
For whichever way you look at it, Tinubu needs Wike.
He needs the rather cantankerous politician not necessarily as the poster boy of his administration but as the political spring board in the South South geo political zone. It was through Wikes steadfastness he was able to get the state with the block vote necessary for him to upset the apple cart in Abubakar Atiku and Peter Obis political onslaught during 2023 election.
Without gainsaying, Tinubu’s enemies within and without the government knew he is an appointee with a difference.
Hence, his recent brush with the established military class via his somewhat needless encounter with Major AL Yerima, also son of a retired General over a parcel of land in Abuja.
That Yerima is also a serving naval officer is instructive. It is instructive because it portrays the job our inadequate military officers are made to do when there are more important jobs for national safety.
Yes, Wike is quite unnecessarily agitated and impatience with those who has over the years flouted the Abuja’s master plan.
His clash with Yerima is just a tip of the inner resentment powerful people affected by his ‘corrective ‘ regime harbors against him.
This in a way signals a direct clash with the long pampered club of both retired and influential military Lords.
The clash of Wike with the owner of the disputed Abuja land, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo rtd and the backlash which has put the Minister in bad light is better seen and appreciated as a clash between a spoilt club of influential military Class and Wikes impatience to establish a new order of things, at least in his portfolio.
Hence, Yerima symbolises ‘protest’ of the club of powerful military and powerful elite who has over the years flouted rules on the city’s master plan.
Wike’s encounter is thus a demonstration of lack of emotional intelligence required to handle such cases by him.
While it is not out of place to say that last week’s encounter is not Wikes first but a calculated attempt by those within and without the government who believes he has gone rather too far in his bid not only to sanitise Abuja but also to demonstrate his show of power.
Unknown to Wike, he might have been set up to ‘test’ his unwieldy temperament which to those against him in the government is needed to let him know there is boundary to what he does.
Yes, they may have displayed lack of respect of the military ruling class for civilian authority, they also might rightly feel that corrective as Tinubu’s administration is, there are boundaries.
This may be reflected in Defence Minister Mohammed Badarus claim that the military will not sacrifice its own for Wikes excesses.
Wike’s adversaries might also be acting in tandem with retd General Buratai Former Defence Chief who equally upbraided Wike for not respecting the military establishment which the young officer represents.
But this reasoning on the other hand is not at home with those who feel uncouth and indecent as Wikes action might be, the essence of his anger is lost on lack of appreciation by his critics that the owner of the land in question has neither legal backing to support his ownership or approved papers to show the land was properly allocated for the purpose he is putting the land.
In other words, supporters of the young officer and his retired boss left the real issue to chase shadow as reflected in exposure of Wike’s abrasiveness and notable temperamental mannerisms.
To them and others, Tinubu either has to tame him or show him the way out.
They fail to realise that this is only tenable and feasible in a parliamentary system where the Minister is a parliamentarian.
That a sitting Defence Minister in a Presidential system can share same thought about his colleague appointee shows a house divided within.
But then, all shades of opinion failed to take into consideration reasons for Tinubu tolerance of his poster boy.
It is as clear as the crystal ball that the first loyal person to Tinubu is Wike who risked all to ensure Tinubu won the election in his domain known over the years for voting the conservative.
He also till date still holds the balls of the PDP in Rivers state via his often estranged puppet ‘son’, Fubara in the seat of power in Rivers.
Rivers is Wike and Wike is Rivers.
Tinubu also cannot trade his political capital with his other southern supporters most of whom developed cold feet at the height of Tinubu’s threatened candidature during the APC presidential primaries.
At an informal meeting with Online publishers recently, Tinubu’s media aides disclosed their principal’s reservation about need to call Wike to order on his flamboyant and lousy lifestyle is hinged on Performance. . . “so far he’s doing his job, he has no problem with me. ”
In other words, it is clear except to those who are wilfully blind that Wikes unguarded temperament will not take his job away from him.
As things stands today, a soft reprimand for the overconfident young Yerima is not farfetched just as a private caution to thread softly may be all what Tinubu will serve Wike. He won’t ridicule him publicly as others would want him to do.
But we cannot pledge the same soft landing for AVM Gambo who has no law on his side as regards the land allocation.
The next few weeks will be interesting as Wike who just bagged an expulsion from his party PDP will not be left as a political orphan by Tinubu.
If anything, Wike’s allies will reap more from PDP fractionalisation since he still has Rivers PDP in his pocket.
