Is the end of democracy in sight in Rivers State? Should we start to bemoan the decline of governance and in its place crass politicking like the autocracies in some parts of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and China.
The power struggle in Rivers state between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor and Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is troubling and must cease for the good people of the state to reap the dividends of their democratic franchise.
For over eight months now, the state has been gripped by intense power play between once powerful and close allies.
From all intents and purposes, the Peace Accord entered by both parties as drawn up by President Bola Tinubu has collapsed and the centre can no longer hold.
Ab-initio, the president had not legal authority to have encouraged the kind of agreement that he brokered. All he would have done was to allow the lawful process to run its course when 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had dumped the party they were elected on – the PDP- to the APC.
Also, Governor Fubara readmitting members of the State Executive Council who had resigned into his cabinet in the guise of political exigency was annoyingly naïve and has turned back to be an exercise in futility as some of the commissioners have resigned owing to their redeployment to other portfolios.
The protest on Sunday, May 12 by some prominent members of the All Progressives Congress after calling for the governor’s impeachment by the lawmakers is recipe for break down of law and order.
At the protest, the protestors alleged of plans of the state government to demolish the Assembly complex.
The factional Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Martins Amaehwule, told the protesters that there was a grand plot by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to bring down structures in the complex the same way he ordered demolition of House of Assembly Complex located along the Moscow Road.
He said the structures were in excellent condition, fully functional and were currently occupied by the lawmakers and their family members.
The lawmakers cannot be wholly blamed when the governor paid an unscheduled visit to the complex in a similar move before he pulled down the main assembly complex.
The waste in that untenable action can better be imagined. It is about time that Fubara and Wike realise that Rivers state is not their private estate, and even if it were, there are established guidelines and protocols in running private estates except headed for the rocks.
The very notion that Mr. Wike enabled the emergence of Governor Fubara is not a condition for him to want to take executive decisions for the governor or determine those in his cabinet.
After having served as governor for eight years without such measure of interference, it is instructive for the minister to focus his attention and energy to the onerous ministerial work he has in Abuja.
Most Nigerians have expressed worry of the inherent danger in allowing the Rivers political drama to fester and they are right.
History shows that the Western Crisis of 1965 set the stage for the demise of that Republic. Besides, allowing extra-constitutional nuances after over 25 years of democracy shows that the country has not imbibed any meaningful democratic ethos.
It has become imperative for all concerned stakeholders to sue for peace so that the state can reap the dividends of democracy which it rightfully deserves.
