Wike, Fubara: Unending Supremacy War
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, what has come to define our political practice is the issue of political godfathers.
It is not as if godfatherism was not prevalent in the First and Second Republics but it was rooted in the people and clear party politics and ideology.
While Leaders like late Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo nurtured and enjoyed their cult of followership, retaining that was not based on personal ego and aggradisement now associated with political and office holders but more on ideology and the welfare of people as they use such to get followership.
During this period at no time did they outrightly impose their wish on the people but still allow the followers have their say based on what is good for them and the ideology they represent.
Party control remains in the hand of members and followers who often contribute money to sustain the party.
Yes, years of military rule; monetization of politics by the later and end of the global cold war era has redefined politics and followership with dearth of ideology in politics.
Also decades of military rule and pervasive corruption which has shaped our latent political followership has destroyed principles as money politics has also altered and reshaped political followership.
For now, that has been the norm rather than exception.
The ongoing struggle for control of the soul of Rivers state between Governor Siminilayi Fubara and his godfather and immediate former governor of the state and now Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike is a clear and test case of godfatherism and its influence on political direction of a state. It is evident to all that the state is now being held down by distraction occasioned by the supremacy War.
Politics is war by other means. But when politics of supremacy becomes the norm after election both governance and the people suffer.
The ongoing distraction is occasioned by tendency of Wike to control the state for his immediate and future interests.
Saturday, January 11, he boasted to Rivers people during his LG tour that politics and by extension power remains his interest.
While the scourge of self-interest could not be removed from the remote causes of friction between late Chief Awolowo and then incumbent Western region Governor, late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola which conflict led to fall of First republic, it was clear that their own source of conflict was centred more on issue of ideology. It is clear that that principled actually pulled the people of the region behind Awolowo against Akintola whom he installed.
Today, Wike’s stranglehold on Fubara which led to the latter’s suspension for six months was more of ego and reluctance of Wike to allow his godson to rule the way he liked. Fubara’s style it is apparent is different from and inconsistent with Wike’s goal and which runs contrary to his political relevance in the state he ruled for eight years.
We should interrogate whether Wike suffered the same fate with his predecessor Rotimi Amaechi.
Ironically, unlike Akintola who though had a faction of the party behind him, Awolowo had both the biggest party faithful and the larger people of the region behind him because of his cult followership informed by his welfarist programmes which redefied the future of the Yoruba people.
The people who took sides with Awo even while he was incarcerated made Western region ungovernable for Akintola.
Today, while it is clear to those who can discern that Tinubu made the return of Fubara to government house less stressful, the fact remains that thirty months out of power in the state has neither diminish nor reduce Wike’s rather overbearing influence.
This issue remains the source of Fubara who today is still struggling with followership in spite of his defection to the ruling All Peoples Congress, APC.
But then with the conduct of local government election before the return of Fubara under the Administrator appointed by Tinubu, it is clear that Rivers grassroots is still under the firm control of Wike.
What then is the source of Governor Fubara’s strength given his inability to have any of the 26 House of Assembly members who all signed the notice of impeachment served on him last Thursday January 8?
This came barely two months after his return to office after his suspension courtesy of emergency rule facilitated by crisis of leadership in the state.
It remains curious why the House of Assembly chose to serve the Governor with impeachment notice at a time Wike is conducting a tour of local government areas of the state when the sitting governor was on seat.
Who really is calling the shots of followership or rather what is the source of Fubara’s strength when state local councils who are under him paid obeisance to Wike who is not in office but ironically in power in Rivers.
During Wike’s tour of Obio/Akpo local government, all the chairmen who took turn to speak declared that though Wike has not told them who to vote for in 2027 governorship election, but they know who not to vote for.
They echoed the known fact that Rivers will vote for President Tinubu’s re-election but for now will stop at that.
It is interesting that while responding to the people during the tour, Wike make it clear to the people who had 3.4m votes to deliver for the Presidential election that politics is about interest and he remains a politician out to protect his personal interest in the state.
What are the personal interests, power and control of the mind of the people he ruled for eight years?
It is clear that Fubara’s problem is far from being governance but rulership which is gradually slipping out of his hand the second time.
Events unfolding in Rivers today have a precedence in Tinubu’s Lagos towards the end of the first term of his anointed successor Babatunde Raji Fashola.
That was when the “True Face of Lagos campaign” took off courtesy of a non-descriptive campaigner who drew attention to inadequacies in Fashola’s administration.
It was clear to those who can decipher that the True Face project was to cut Fashola to size for growing wings beyond his benefactor.
Fashola eventually piped down and the second term ticket landed on his palm.
No victor, no vanquished.
But really there was a victor who dictated political pace and undercurrent.
It has not slipped from his hand since not even when Akinwunmi Ambode took over in 2015.
Fashola was wiser.
In the heat of the struggle to get the APC ticket in 2023, Fashola propounded the “how not to allow your loyalty be tested” political theory.
But the word was lost on former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who threw his hat into the ring and wrestled with his benefactor. The rest is history.
Fashola was the wisest of them all.
He brushed aside sycophants and tactically buried his perceived ambition.
Today, though he is not part of Tinubu’s govt, he remains a trusted ally who knew when not to step on his benefactors toes especially when the boss is on the move.
While Osinbajo and Tinubu have since managed to mend fences and not copied the garulous Rauf Aregbesola, who joined forces with those who demarketed his former boss. He not only portrayed his lack of decorum in disagreement with a benefactor but today has found himself taunting a sitting President who changed the course of his life and clothed him with power and affluence not only in Lagos but in his Osun State where Tinubu made him governor.
In Yoruba land, there is a saying: “If your hand could not get the handle of the knife, don’t ask those who killed your father to avoid becoming another victim.”
They will use the sword to kill you.
By ‘reneging’ on agreement with Wike and his foot soldiers in PDP who has jumped ship to APC, could Fubara upstage Wike who by recent local government tour has tested his popularity and confirm his control of political structure in Rivers?
Can Fubara convince Tinubu to ‘drop’ the man who had 3.4m voters under his armpit, in Rivers State in order to enable him get a second term ticket?
Politics and power which comes with it has its dynamic and ‘banana peels’ out of political conventions and niceties which Fubara’s supporters lack to help him stay afloat.
After all, they could not stop him from being impeached.
As contentious and cantankerous as Wike may be, his sun is definitely not about to set in Rivers politics neither is his immense capacity for political mischief.
As a performing Minister, it is obvious Tinubu has less baggage on him enough to upstage or replace his relevance in getting South South vote for his 2027 reelection.
From whichever way it turns, Fubara has to deploy more wisdom to remain in power irrespective of whatever influence Tinubu has in preventing the Assembly from impeachment him.
For Fubara, wisdom is the word.
