The good news that came from Rivers at the Weekend was that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had apologised to the residents over the recent political crisis that engulfed the State.
He assured them that peace would continue to reign between him and his estranged godfather, the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Describing the crisis as regrettable, Fubara stated that the anxieties of the last few days drew the State backwards, adding that he was ready to make the huge sacrifices for peace to reign.
He said peace is priceless and that he would use his position to fulfil the dreams of the state.
Thanks to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s quick intervention, Rivers state would have become the Gaza of Nigeria, where political war would have caused the people of the state untold hardship.
The saying is; where two elephants fight, the grass suffers. What would have become the fate of all the innocent citizens of Rivers State if the two heavyweights should begin the power tussle? But happily, such political imbroglio was averted earlier than it was expected.
Well, the crisis between Wike and his anointed political son was not unexpected, it was a usual tradition in politics.
We have had a number of similar experiences since the advent of our democracy in 1999, however, the Rivers State issue will definitely not be the last.
But the unfortunate situation about the crisis that nearly tore the state apart was the timing and the manner with which events are unfolding and happening quickly with little or no warning.
For me, I deliberately chose the title of this piece to prove a point about loyalty, disloyalty, power play and intrigues, demand for sustainability, keeping to one’s promises, courage, and the ability to actualize one’s dreams in life.
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These and many other issues are very important in life and can easily trigger avoidable crises between two or more people, and even among countries of the world.
At the early stage of their political journey, Fubara was the golden son.
He was the anointed candidate of the lion that roared daily in Rivers.
He was untouchable.The Governor was the best thing that could happen to Rivers state after the expiration of Wike’s eight- year administration.
Like the son of the gods, Fubara kept a low profile, allowing his god- father to do the politics,spend the money and staking his political structure against all odds, for him to become the governor of the state.
He had his job secured and he was protected until the handing over date-on May 29, when the baton of leadership changed hands.
And immediately power changed hands, things began to take another shape in Rivers state, opportunities abounded for both Wike and Fubara and the duo decided to expand their political structures by doing the unthinkable.
Human beings are unpredictable. Politics like the game of soccer (football) is always interesting if you are just a spectator, watching the game from the stadium or from the comfort zone of your room.
It is as easy as reading the daily newspapers or surfing the internet to know about the current situation in the country.That is the beauty of the game.
But if you are really involved in the game of politics and you see how politicians do their politicking as it were; you will marvel at the level of their commitments and stakes to the game of politics.
Politicians, all over the world know quite well that power is a currency that can be used to achieve their goals.And they are always ready to stake everything to achieve that power.
Interestingly, our history is replete with various stories of how our politicians play their politics.
There were stories of how a Governor was abducted.There were stories of how a governor was impeached because he failed to do the biddings of his godfather.
There were stories of how a governor lost his second term bid because he could not sustain the political structure of his godfather.
There were stories of how deputy governors, chief of staff, secretary to the government or accountant- general of the state later turned against their governors and benefactors making them irrelevant in the tumultuous political terrains.
Human behaviours and patterns of political leadership are not different from the South to the North,East to West.
All over the world power is the same, but the difference has to do with individual players that are involved.
Wike and Fubara are living in different worlds.The former is the Kingmaker and the latter is the king.
Their two worlds cannot be brought together unless there is a crisis.
The number one citizen of a state like Rivers – with a huge financial chest wouldn’t like to be a stooge to somebody else.
That was exactly what happened to Wike in his days as Governor before he got to where he is today.
He had the financial strength and wherewithal that made him controlled the PDP till he brought the once biggest party in Africa to its knees.
Power is transient, but politicians want it all costs.The degree of power that matches Wike’s ambition is to ensure that his structure is intact, whether he is in Rivers or Abuja.
By “tampering with Wike’s structure”, Fubara allegedly created a gap and altered the process.
He is trying to create new models instead of following the old ones. This, to him will come with a lot of sacrifices. And that his greatest sins.
But the President, as the father of the nation and as the masters of political godfatherism was quick to intervene, telling the Governor to stick to the agreement that brought him to power.
Honestly, Wike is Fubara’s adversary and he must have learnt his lesson earlier enough that whoever is ready to wine and dine with the devil must be ready to use the proverbial long spoon.
The Governor must be told to learn that one of the prominent laws of power was “Never outshine the Master”, because If you make your superior look bad, you will only make yourself a target. And that is where Fubara got it wrong.
From his political antecedents,Wike is used to controversies. He is adept in navigating through various political intrigues.
He led the G- 5 ‘coup’against the PDP and sealed the fate of PDP when the 2023 elections were at the peak.
The disgruntled governors then romanced the oppositions. Even
Peter Obi of the Labour Party was a beneficiary of their ‘political coup’,
but in the end, the men were truly separated from the boys.
Politics is a treacherous terrain that can go either way, however, political interest is the only factor that can guarantee the long and short term relationship among politicians.
That is the fear of Wike who prides himself as the father of Rivers politics and a man that is good in the act of sending his oppositions into political oblivion.
The Minister for FCT is fighting for the survival of his structure and he can do anything to sustain this.
Like a wounded lion, I know the new found agreement between the father and the son may not endure for a very long time because both men are now suspicious of each other.
Once bitten, they say is twice shy.It will take the grace of God for the duo to mend fences.
As it is now, Rivers state, the state that is popularly known as the treasure base of the nation will not remain the same,as it is evident that there is a sharp political division between Wike and the Governor.
But I think there is every reason for the duo to mend their fences.
Wike will not allow his structure to crumble in his very eyes. He would rather play the devil than allowing his godson to thwart his political structure
But for the benefit of the people of the state, both of them should forget their differences and renew their trust in the interest of peace.
At this stage of his life, Governor Siminalary Fubara must understand the fundamentals of politics of godfatherism, dynamics of power, seduction, mastery, strategy, and human nature. And the sacrifices he had to pay for peace to reign.
I remembered last Monday when Rivers state was boiling and the whole issue was becoming very tough, my daughter, who in the build up to the 2023 general elections, admired Wike’s courage and that of the G- 5 insistence on a southern president against the PDP’s non- zoning arrangement jeered me in a jovial manner and she said: “Daddy, I will Wike you”.
And very quickly, I understood her drift, and I responded jokingly, “I will Fubara you”, and that ended the story.
Thank God the story of Rivers state crisis had ended in peace. And I pray the peace that is reigning now in the state will be an enduring peace.
Aderemi writes in from Lagos
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