Abuja Network News Analysis
Who truly governs Rivers State? The man who won the election—or the man who installed him? And when loyalty collapses, does democracy survive the fallout?
Rivers State, long regarded as one of Nigeria’s most politically sophisticated and economically strategic states, is now trapped in a high-stakes power struggle that has blurred the line between constitutional governance and raw political dominance. At the centre of the storm are Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara—former allies whose alliance has imploded into one of the most consequential political crises since the return to civil rule.
What began as a routine succession plan has degenerated into legislative rebellion, judicial intervention, and the looming threat of impeachment, with implications far beyond Rivers State.
The Making of a Governor: How Fubara Emerged
Siminalayi Fubara did not ascend to power through political rebellion or factional struggle. He was manufactured by the system built by Nyesom Wike.
As governor from 2015 to 2023, Wike:
Consolidated total control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers
Dominated the State House of Assembly
Installed loyalists across ministries, agencies, and local governments
Determined who rose—and who fell—within Rivers politics
Fubara, a former accountant-general of the state, emerged as Wike’s trusted technocrat, sold to the political class as safe, loyal, and predictable. His victory in 2023 was widely viewed as Wike’s third term by proxy.
But power, once acquired, has a way of changing equations.
The Break: When Loyalty Gave Way to Authority
Barely months into office, Governor Fubara began asserting himself:
He questioned inherited power structures
Resisted external interference in governance
Began reorganising appointments and influence
To Wike’s political camp, this was not independence—it was defiance.
The response was swift.
The Assembly Revolts: Legislature as a Weapon
The Rivers State House of Assembly, overwhelmingly loyal to Wike, became the spearhead of resistance against the governor.
What followed:
Open hostility between lawmakers and the executive
Accusations of “gross misconduct”
Threats of impeachment barely months into Fubara’s tenure
Breakdown of legislative-executive cooperation
The Assembly stopped behaving like a co-equal arm of government and began acting like a disciplinary council.
The message was unmistakable: Power in Rivers had not changed hands.
Fire, Factions, and a Fractured State
The crisis deepened dramatically when a fire gutted the Assembly complex under controversial circumstances. Accusations flew. Trust collapsed completely.
Soon after:
Lawmakers split into pro-Wike and pro-Fubara factions
Parallel sittings and counter-directives emerged
Governance slowed as politics consumed institutions
Rivers State effectively entered a constitutional grey zone:
One governor
Rival legislative authorities
Endless legal battles
Impeachment: The Ultimate Pressure Tool
Unable to rein in the governor politically, the Assembly reached for the nuclear option—impeachment under Section 188 of the Constitution.
But Fubara struck first.
He approached the courts and secured interim injunctions restraining:
The Assembly
Its leadership
And crucially, the Chief Judge of Rivers State
This legal blockade set the stage for the defining moment of the crisis.
Judiciary Drawn Into the Fire
When the Assembly formally requested the Chief Judge to constitute an impeachment panel, the judiciary was forced to choose between constitutional procedure and subsisting court orders.
The Chief Judge declined.
That refusal:
Halted the impeachment process
Prevented irreversible political consequences
Shifted the crisis from legislative muscle to legal scrutiny
It was not peace—but a temporary ceasefire.
The Wike Factor: Influence Without Office
Though no longer governor, Wike remains:
A federal minister
A dominant force in Rivers PDP politics
A symbol of political godfatherism at its peak
To Fubara’s supporters, the crisis is about liberation from godfather control.
To Wike’s camp, it is about discipline, loyalty, and political order.
Neither side is retreating.
Why Rivers Matters to Nigeria
This crisis is not just local drama. It:
Tests Nigeria’s tolerance for godfather politics
Challenges the limits of legislative power
Puts judicial independence under intense pressure
Sets a precedent for future successions nationwide
Has implications for 2027 political realignments
Rivers is wealthy, strategic, and politically symbolic. Whoever controls it controls leverage.
The Big Question
Is Rivers State witnessing:
A governor fighting for constitutional authority?
Or
A political structure enforcing obedience?
The courts may decide the immediate outcome, but the long-term consequences will shape Nigerian politics for years.
Conclusion
The Wike–Fubara crisis is a warning:
That succession without autonomy breeds conflict
That power ceded reluctantly is power contested violently
And that democracy remains fragile where institutions serve personalities
Rivers State is not just in crisis—it is on trial before the nation.
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