By Olu Fasan
I have strong affinities with the two states currently embroiled in political crises in Nigeria. One, Ondo, is my state of origin. The other, Rivers, is where I did my national youth service decades ago and for which I have undiminished affection. Sadly, while the citizens of both states are decent people, their political leaders are charlatans. They abuse public office and political power, acting with impunity as if they’re greater than the state and the people.
Yet, the rule of the game works differently. In a democracy, a few are elected to govern in the best interests of the people. But politicians in Rivers and Ondo states and, indeed, across Nigeria control power and use it in deleterious ways. They rule over the people, not for the people. Unfortunately, Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president, is complicit in the elevation of selfish individual interests above the common good in both states.
Let’s start
with Ondo State. John Adams, second US President, was right: “Trust no man
living with power.” Before he became governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu
was a radical lawyer, who made his name as the activist president of the
Nigerian Bar Association. He was a thorn in the flesh of the government of the
day, haranguing them on issues ranging from good governance to human rights and
the rule of law. But as governor, Akeredolu turned those principles on their
heads. He ran Ondo State as his personal fiefdom.
In 2020, Akeredolu’s first and
later estranged deputy, Agboola Ajayi, claimed that: “Akeredolu and members of
his family skim off the purse of our state with reckless abandon,” adding that
his wife and son were collecting regular “imprests” from the state, “apart from
millions and millions they get from inflated contracts.” That’s far removed
from Akeredolu the fierce advocate of good governance and integrity politics.
In power, he abandoned those values.
As the NBA president, Akeredolu was vociferous in asking the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to resign in 2010, saying: “If our President is not capable of performing his duties anymore, he must resign.” But now, in a similar situation himself, Akeredolu has refused to take his own advice. Earlier this year, he spent 117 days in a German hospital. But when he returned on September 6, he cocooned himself in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, not Akure, capital of the state he was elected to govern.
Instead of stepping down for his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, or
transferring power to him as acting governor, Akeredolu got the State’s House
of Assembly to start impeachment proceedings against him.
Then, Tinubu intervened.
However, he sidelined the Constitution and ordered the deputy governor to sign
an undated resignation letter. Why Tinubu would force the deputy governor to
resign extra-constitutionally beggars belief. Yet, had Akeredolu’s illness not
deteriorated, forcing him to transfer power to his deputy and return overseas
for further treatment, Tinubu would have insisted on maintaining the status
quo, saying “Akeredolu remains governor”, even though Akeredolu was so
incapacitated that his signature was being forged on official documents, as
alleged by one of his commissioners who cited forensic evidence. It’s a
betrayal of Ondo State and its people!
But while the Ondo State crisis
has, so far, been confined to intrigues and calculations, that of Rivers State
has degenerated into violence. Tinubu is also culpable. As I wrote recently,
Tinubu’s politically-motivated appointment of Nyesom Wike as the powerful
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, gives the narcissistic and
bullying former Rivers State governor the political clout to foment trouble in
the state.
Wike says he’s fighting for his
“political structure”. But without political power and access to public funds,
politicians can’t oil their support machine. Thus, the powerful office of FCT
Minister gives Wike extraordinary leverage as it allows him to build and
maintain extensive patronage-clientage networks, award multi-billion-naira
contracts and grandstand as Nigeria’s “37th state governor”. Wike is a
destabilising force, and it’s utterly wrong to allow him to use Abuja,
Nigeria’s symbol of unity, to fuel anarchy in Rivers State.
Let’s face it, Wike’s attempt to
force the impeachment of his anointed successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara,
less than six months in office, is the proximate cause of the political turmoil
in Rivers State. Wike wanted to turn Fubara into his poodle and give him orders
from Abuja. Fubara’s resistance was, thus, an insolence that warranted his
impeachment. But when political godfathers and their empowered godsons fall
apart, everything is imperilled.
First, the State’s House of
Assembly was set ablaze. The governor later ordered the destruction of the
charred building. Then, 27 of the 32 House of Assembly members decamped from
the PDP to the APC. In tow, nine commissioners resigned from Fubara’s
government. They were all dancing to Wike’s tune. But, as if nothing had
happened, Governor Fubara presented his N800bn 2024 budget to the four
remaining PDP members and signed the bill into law. If there’s another
definition of anarchy, I can’t find it!
But this
week, Tinubu intervened again. After a meeting with Wike, Fubara and former
Governor Peter Odili, among others, Tinubu got them to sign a so-called
eight-point peace deal. But the “peace” deal brokered by Tinubu is heavily
loaded against Governor Fubara and won’t guarantee lasting truce in Rivers
State.
Think about it. Governor Fubara must recognise the 27 House of Assembly members who defected to the APC. But would they remain APC members? If so, are their defections constitutional? Why should an APC-dominated assembly be imposed on Fubara, a PDP governor, while he can’t challenge the constitutionality of the defections?
Fubara must also
welcome back the nine commissioners who resigned, but who will never be loyal to
him. Furthermore, Fubara must re-present the 2024 budget he has already signed
into law: a humiliation. Finally, he cannot appoint caretakers for local
governments in Rivers State. The only concession granted to Fubara is that the
impeachment proceedings against him be dropped. But, overall, the deal hobbles
Fubara: he’s a Governor-In-Name-Only, a GINO!
Tinubu’s presidential
arm-twisting in the political crises in Ondo and Rivers is misguided. No
individual must be greater than the state. Wike must accept he can’t be both
emperor of Abuja and emperor of Rivers State. Akeredolu must accept he doesn’t
own Ondo State. If he’s incapacitated, he must resign. Any extra-constitutional
solution is, simply put, unconstitutional!
*Editor’s Note: Former Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi’s
claim was not proved in court.
*Dr. Fasan is a commentator on public issues
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