Columnist and political analyst, Majeed Dahiru, has argued that the imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State led the suspended Governor, Sim Fubara, to surrender and hand over victory squarely in favour of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Naijaonpoint reports that Dahiru’s comment follows the last meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where President Bola Tinubu, Wike, Fubara, and some members of the Rivers Assembly agreed to a truce.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Dahiru described the outcome of the Rivers State political reconciliation as a rare victory for Wike, who triumphed over Fubara.
He said, “This is a classic case of a hat-trick in football. Wike has emerged victorious. He came out on top, and Fubara has found his level. That game-changer was indeed the declaration of a state of emergency.
“It was declared—got Fubara to surrender and handed over victory in favour of Wike. So Wike has triumphed.
“It’s a rare feat in Nigeria for a godfather to triumph over their godson they have installed as governor. I think the only other person who has recorded this feat will be President Tinubu himself when he triumphed over Ambode (ex-governor of Lagos State).”
Speaking further, Dahiru argued that the state of emergency declared in the rich oil state is unconstitutional and illegal.
The political analyst said there are no heroes in the Fubara-Wike feud and dismissed claims that Rivers people resisted godfatherism, insisting no one should take sides in a deal they were not part of.
He added, “The state of emergency is unconstitutional. It is illegal. I wish this were managed better—without infringing on the constitution of Nigeria. By any stretch of legal opinion, a state of emergency does not entail sacking a democratically elected structure.
“In the fight between Fubara and Wike, there are no heroes and no victims. They belong to the same political family. You can’t take sides when you’re not privy to the deal that has gone sour,” he said.
“I’m sorry to say this, but you didn’t vote for Fubara. Resources were deployed by someone to get him there. So, for every vote that was bought, it no longer belongs to you.”
Asked whether it would have been better to impeach the governor, Dahiru replied, “Politically, this is better for Fubara. But constitutionally, it would have been more appropriate to remove him via impeachment than use a state of emergency to provide a soft landing.”