Fubara, Wike’s tango rekindles politics of godfatherism in Rivers

Stakeholders that are abreast of the politics in Rivers State are not surprised at the sudden sour relationship between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and ex-governor of the state now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. As it was since 1999, so the trend continues with collateral damage on the economy of the state, ANN GODWIN reports. 

Since 1999 when Dr Peter Odili became governor of Rivers State, there has been perpetual unrest in the political space due to godfatherism and perpetual fallouts between political godfathers and their godsons.

In other climes, after elections, politics gives way for governance, but in Rivers, politics continues till the next election apparently due to complicated interests.

Although political observers in the state knew that the political marriage between the former governor, now Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara would not last long, how the table turned suddenly within five months of handover was unimaginable.

A context is necessary here and the Harry-Odili faceoff should set that tone.
It will be recalled that Odili rose to power on the structures of the late Marshal Harry, who was his godfather, but when he became governor, Odili dismantled Harry’s structures in an epic political battle, and this led to their parting ways. Odili later established his own structures.

When Amaechi became governor on October 25, 2007, by the order of the Supreme Court, he also dismantled Odili’s political dynasty, probably due to the saga that bedevilled his emergence as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2006.

Recall that Odili, while preparing to exit office, had narrowed his search for a successor to Amaechi, who was then the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Austin Opara, then deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and Abiye Sekibo.

Amaechi emerged as the flag-bearer, but his rise did not go down well with some Abuja ‘bigwigs’ and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was sent after him, seizing all his travel documents.

Odili, after futile attempts to sustain Amaechi’s emergence, yielded to the opposition against the ticket and opted for his (Amaechi’s) cousin, Dr Celestine Omehia.

Distressed and hunted, Amaechi temporarily relocated to Ghana and instituted a case against his disqualification, severed contact with Odili, and returned with full vengeance against his political mentor after the court ruled in his favour on October 25, 2007.

The scenario manifested into hostility from Amaechi’s camp against Omehia and Odili supporters and led to a crisis that finally tore apart the Odili-Amaechi political father-son relationship.

Amaechi-Wike feud
Wike was a strong ally of Amaechi, serving as his Chief of Staff in his first tenure between 2007 and 2011. But their friendship turned sour when Amaechi said he observed his dictatorial tendencies and appointed Mr Tony Okocha as his replacement in his second tenure and had Wike elevated to the centre, where he was appointed Minister of State for Education.

Amaechi’s calculation that ‘shipping’ Wike to Abuja would displace his budding political career turned out to be the then governor’s worst political nightmare, as Wike got to Abuja and plotted to decimate Amaechi’s structure.

He was further emboldened to fight Amaechi following the crisis between the then governor and then First Lady, Patience Jonathan. Amaechi had threatened to demolish the Okrika waterfront, the ancestral home of Mrs Jonathan and the faceoff between the duo metamorphosed to former President Jonathan allegedly getting Wike to cripple Amaechi’s structure in Rivers State when the relationship between the governor and the First Family became frosty.

Wike and Amaechi’s political relationship finally crumbled when Wike’s allies, through controversial judicial circumstances, wrestled the state PDP executive structure from pro-Amaechi’s executive. This culminated in Amaechi defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) with some of his men, including Magnus Abe, with the PDP’s structure firmly under Wike’s grip.

The political brawl among Amaechi, Wike and Abe has exacerbated, as the state’s three political actors are apparently still enraged at one another and throwing venom, which is seriously affecting developments in the state.

Fubara, Wike’s sudden crack
PRIOR to this year’s March 18 governorship election, about seven aspirants indicated interest in the race on the platform of PDP, including Felix Obuah, Isaac Kamalu and the current Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, among others.

However, Fubara, former accountant general of the state, who was handpicked by Wike, emerged as the party’s candidate, and eventually won the governorship election, all thanks to Wike.

However, political observers knew that the marriage between Wike and Fubara might not last. In fact, a top PDP chieftain from Opopo-Nkoro, Fubara’s hometown, confided in The Guardian two weeks after the election that in less than two years, the governor would no longer operate as a “slave”.

It is, however, not surprising that the relationship between the duo turned sour so quickly and the sad aftermath started manifesting on Sunday, October 29 and reached boiling point on Monday, October 30, when it became unbearable for the governor.

It was alleged that Wike insisted that 25 per cent of all state allocations be remitted to him, even as he is also said to be deciding what happens and who gets what in the state, including when the governor should travel or not.

Wike was also alleged to have kicked against some of the governor’s programmes and policies, especially the revamping of Songhai Farm, which was initiated by Amaechi, renovation of the state secretariat, among others.

Fubara, unable to continue tolerating the alleged overbearing nature of his godfather, was said to have resisted some of Wike’s decisions. And the disagreement led to the orchestrated impeachment of the governor by first removing the former House Leader, Edison Ehie, who is said to have frustrated earlier moves to oust the governor, forced the deputy governor, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, to resign, and then install the ‘Speaker, Martins Amaehule, who is also an Ikwere man like Wike, as governor.

The plot, The Guardian gathered, encouraged some political thugs to burn the hallowed chamber of the state Assembly complex on Sunday night. The following morning, the House Majority Leader Edison Ehie was removed during an emergency sitting by lawmakers loyal to Wike.

Less than an hour after the drama, Ehie emerged a parallel speaker, having secured votes of lawmakers loyal to Fubara during a plenary session held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

While the drama lasted, the Police allegedly took sides, as the governor accused security personnel of shooting live ammunition at him, throwing teargas sinisters and pouring water on him while he was going to the Assembly Complex to inspect damages caused by the explosion.However, spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, has denied the allegation, saying the Command was investigating the matter.

Citizens, governance suffer
WHILE the crisis between Fubara and Wike is strongly drawing realignment from various aggrieved political camps in the state and perceived enemies of the latter are currently pitching tent with former and have commended his audacious action and resistance to being a ‘perpetual slave’, the saga has crippled business activities in the state and driving out investors.

Youths have also staged massive protests and even slept at the entrance of Government House to fight against any alleged impeachment move against Fubara.

Civil servants were not left out, as workers in the state have kicked against any move to remove Fubara, saying he has initiated friendly programmes and policies that would improve their welfare. Roads were blocked and increased security presence was noticeable across the state.

But relative calm was returning after the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and some chieftains of the party. A policy and political analyst, Olalekan Ige, contended that political godfatherism is not a bad thing and is not practised only in Nigeria, but across the globe, adding that it has positive and negative impacts.

He said it is positive when the young person is mentored and built by the godfather, but negative when the godfather becomes overbearing, as seen in the case of many Nigerian politicians.

On the fractured relationship between Wike and Fubara, Ige said: “Five months is too short a time and the reason given by the House of Assembly for wanting to impeach the governor, that he walked to the Assembly with people and things were destroyed, is not good enough.

“In the coming days, the public will know more details about the saga.” He lamented that the development would affect the economy, saying: “There are people who are waiting to make decisions. So, if investors planning to invest in Rivers State see such a crisis, they will withdraw.

“The political stability of a place is intricately linked to the prosperity of the place. If you are in a country or a state that is not politically stable, how do you intend to invest in such an economy? Businesses will shut down.”

For researcher and development and policy expert, Sunny Dada, incumbent governors always win the battle between godfathers and the godsons, recalling the crises between Harry and Odili; Odili and Amaechi and Amaechi and Wike.

“The general context is that governance will suffer. The citizens will pay the ultimate price because all the dividends that should have gone into governance will now go into building new structures for the governor because at the moment, hawks are flying around, enemies of the new governor are coming around, a lot of rebuilding and compensation going on, including awarding projects as compensation that will not see the light of the day.”

On the way forward, Dada proffered: “We need law reforms, constitutional amendment, restructuring of the institution of democracy and a citizens dialogue that will ask pertinent questions, including whether democracy has been delivered to us. Who are the actors if democracy has not been delivered?”

He bemoaned that godfatherism throws up people who do not have basic democratic credentials, stressing that if people who do not have the credentials come in, they would not allow their successors to function.

He stressed the need to initiate institutional reforms that would be stronger than individuals, lamenting that at the moment, the individuals are stronger than the institutions.

“Politicians have weaponised poverty and hunger. If the citizens are well fed, if the environment is ripe for enterprise and is flouring, we do not need handouts. If it is possible to do away with hunger and poverty, then it will be possible to do away with godfatherism in Nigeria politics,” he stated.

QUOTE:
The general context is that governance will suffer. The citizens will pay the ultimate price because all the dividends that should have gone into governance will now go into building new structures for the governor, because at the moment, hawks are flying around, enemies of the new governor are coming around, a lot of rebuilding and compensation going on, including awarding projects as compensation that will not see the light of the day.