Nigeria’s Dangerous Political Species: A Case Study Of Nyesom Wike

By Frank Oshanugor

The Honorable Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike is a man, many Nigerians including this writer loved with passion during his time as Governor of Rivers State.

The love stemmed largely from his development tendency towards the state and the good people of that oil rich state . He made some landmark achievements that attracted huge commendation not only from his people of Rivers State but visitors particularly those highly placed personalities he occasionally invited to officially assist in commissioning the projects.

Regrettably, the warped ambition of an average desperate politician seeking the office of Nigeria’s President, by hook or crook became his portion soon as his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announced its presidential primaries for the 2023 Presidential Election.

He had nursed ambition for the presidency and got prepared for the primaries in a grand style after his group succeeded in thwarting the plan to zone the presidency to the Southeast. Money was not his problem and the paraphernalia of an occupier of the office of the Governor in one of the oil richest states was quite manifest.

He displayed much opulence as his convoy of well branded automobiles that heralded his procession and entry into the election arena was awesome. It was like a presidential fleet in waiting. Wike had the self assurance rightly or wrongly that he was the man to beat after his desperate team of then Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Abubakar Atiku and Iyorchia Ayu had frustrated Peter Obi out of PDP.

Like Atiku, the former Governor of Rivers State believed so much in his money power to buy over the delegates to the primaries. It was a battle of wits between the two but at the end Atiku using his northern brother Aminu Tambuwal outsmarted Wike in a contest, his soothsayers must have blindly assured him of victory. What an irony!

It was obviously at this point of dashed presidential hope that Wike decided to throw away any modicum of decency remaining in his political garment. His integrity began to wane in the political space as he chose to speak from the two sides of his mouth particularly when presidential candidates of the leading parties started coming in his direction for support.

Peter Obi who had eventually emerged Labour Party presidential candidate, like the usual Nigerian politician who has no permanent friend or enemy, went to Wike to seek his support. Openly, Wike had assured him of support but in the most deceitful manner with his (now) historical remark of INYE NDIEBE INYE NDIEBE (meaning you give to this side and you give to the other side).

Obi may have innocently assumed that Wike was just seeking support of his Labour Party in Rivers State Governorship election as a reciprocal gesture for his (Wike’s) anticipated support for Obi during the presidential election. The outcome of such innocent assumption by Obi was a humongous betrayal by a man who chose to play Judas in the election by helping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the presidential election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as later revealed by those who know better.

The compensation for his ignoble role was a Ministerial appointment. Today, he is serving as a minister in APC-led government but still a member of the PDP. Unarguably, he has the right to serve in APC if his choice is predicated principally on patriotism and competence and not as compensation for playing a role largely considered ignoble in any moral space.

Matters are not even helped by Wike’s endless grandstanding that gives him a larger than life image of a god who has the last say in the affairs of PDP. His utterances and actions are too dangerous for the good of party politics in Nigeria. He is serving under APC but largely dictating how PDP should be run.

The worst of his actions in recent time, has been his untireless attack on a personality like Peter Obi whose chances of winning the presidential election any day seems to be giving Wike sleepless night. Just imagine him describing Obi as lacking in character because Obi left PDP for Labour Party when there was a suspected gang up against him as he stood chances of winning the PDP presidential primaries if level playing field was provided.

The FCT Minister is currently worried that Obi’s possible return to PDP preparatory to the 2027 elections may upturn the calculations within APC. It is feared that with the resignation of Atiku from PDP and the recent rumoured overtures to Obi by some PDP heavyweights to return to the party with assurance of giving him the presidential ticket, the PDP would once again emerge as the party to beat given Obi’s large Obidient followership.

One should therefore not be surprised that Wike’s castigation of Obi aligns him once again with intent to do a political hatchet man’s job. It is quite obvious.

Wike should not forget in a hurry the selfish role himself and Okowa played to undermine the collective decision reached by the then serving Southern Governors in Asaba in 2022. Their selfishness and Atiku’s greed combined to destroy PDP. Today, the party is in disarray with Wike worsening its chances of standing as a formidable party once again.

My advice to Wike is that time has come for him to understand that as a mortal being who sprouts out in the morning as Rose flower and withers down in the evening, he should stop playing God in the affairs of PDP. If he has chosen to work for APC, a party he once described as leprous, let him change his party membership and become fully registered as APC member and stop meddling in the affairs of PDP. If his interest is still in PDP, he should divest himself of the Almighty power he arrogates to himself and submit to party discipline. He believes so much that in spite of his anti-party activities, nobody can checkmate him. That is the height of political arrogance in a democratic space and abuse of Godly grace.

The earlier he understands the ephemeral nature and vanity of life, the better for him. Where are the men of yester-years who at one time or the other played God in the affairs of Nigeria? Some have since become manure and are only remembered for the evil they did in their days. It is a lesson for the living.