Rivers State Crisis: A Tale of Power Struggle and Violence
Rivers State, Nigeria’s oil-rich treasure base, has been embroiled in a deepening political crisis since the inauguration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in May 2023. The crisis, which has seen two factions of the State House of Assembly emerge, has led to impeachment proceedings, court injunctions, and even violence.
The crisis began when the majority members of the Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Fubara, citing gross misconduct. However, Fubara’s camp claimed that the move was orchestrated by his political godfather, Nyesom Wike, who is seeking to regain control of the state.
Wike, a former governor of the state, had previously backed Fubara’s candidacy and even nominated several commissioners in his cabinet. However, their relationship soured when Fubara failed to pay the salaries and allowances of some lawmakers loyal to Wike.
The crisis escalated when the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria, making it contingent for all local councils to be democratically governed. Fubara, who had been accused of not conducting local government elections in the state, claimed that he was forced to conduct the elections to avoid the Federal Government seizing the state allocation to LGAs.
The elections, which were conducted on October 5, 2024, saw the Action Peoples Party (APP) win chairmanship in 22 of the 23 LGAs and 314 out of the 319 councillorship seats. However, the Wike camp had protested the elections, citing irregularities and calling for their cancellation.
The situation took a violent turn when protests and arson rocked several council secretariats, with Ikwerre, Emourha, and Eleme council secretariats being torched by arsonists. The Nigerian media reported some deaths, and the situation has been described as a power struggle on who controls the political structure in Rivers State.
President Bola Tinubu has urged calm and asked the aggrieved party to go to court. However, if firm actions are not taken to curb the brewing violence in the state, it could sound the death knell of this Fourth Republic.
The situation is reminiscent of the post-election western region electoral crises in 1964 and 1965, which led to the first military takeover on January 15, 1966. It is widely believed that Wike’s foot soldiers are behind the ongoing arson in the state, given their previous protests against the conduct of the local government elections.
Rivers State produces a significant quantum of Nigeria’s oil and gas, and allowing it to be engulfed in political crisis is like cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. It is imperative that the Federal Government takes decisive action to restore peace and stability to the state.
Recommendations:
- The Federal Government should deploy security personnel to Rivers State to maintain law and order and prevent further violence.
- The State Government should ensure the payment of salaries and allowances to all lawmakers and staff to prevent further protests and unrest.
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should investigate the conduct of the local government elections and take necessary actions to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
- The State Government should engage in dialogue with the Wike camp to resolve the crisis and restore peace to the state.
- The Federal Government should consider imposing a state of emergency in Rivers State to prevent further violence and ensure the restoration of peace and stability.
